WARRIORS: Shaded Promises
by Ruthie of the Wildcats
Summary: [Sequel to Floodtide][Complete] A group of four chosen apprentices and a former kittypet tagalong set out on a journey to save PromiseClan from a mysterious danger. The last three chapters are up. Will the hounds destroy PromiseClan like Ocarina planned?
1. Allegiances

The Loyal Warriors of PromiseClan

-Please Note: PromiseClan is made of cats of all Clans. Each cat's Clan of origin is beside their description. A DC stands for DuskClan. An SC means SwampClan. LC means LakeClan. MC stands for MeadowClan. R means that the cat was once a rogue. If the cat's description has a PC beside it, the cat was born into PromiseClan. -

**Leader** Riverstar—gray-blue queen with stripes of dark gray fur running horizontally across her lower back. Blue eyes. Sleetfur's best friend. (DC)

**Apprentice, Riverpaw**

**Deputy** Sunface—stocky, flaming-red tom with brown eyes. Radianteyes's only surviving brother. (DC)

**Medicine Cat** Seedgrowth—sand-colored tom with one dark brown paw. (DC)

**Apprentice, Promisepaw**

**Warriors** Sleetfur—long-haired, silver she-cat with soulful blue eyes. Riverstar's best friend. (DC)

**Apprentice, Greatpaw**

Blacktip—pure white tomcat with black tips on his tail, paws, and black tufts of fur on his ears (DC)

Creekflow—bluish-brown tomcat with startlingly green eyes. (DC)

**Apprentice, Ashpaw**

Racefoot—white he-cat with streaks of black running down his sides. Fast runner. An incurable insomniac. (DC)

Quartzfur—big, tiger-striped tom with glittering, amber eyes. Fur is very glossy. (DC)

Heavenstep— small, pale bluish she-cat with amber eyes. Has a soft, sweet voice. (DC)

Radianteyes—slender, white she-cat with yellowish-ginger paws. Sunface's only surviving sister

Pyrefoot—long-limbed black tomcat with ginger paws. Has occasional anger issues (R)

**Apprentice, Bearpaw**

Sparkfur—yellow queen with blazing yellow eyes, and scarred ears (R)

Hexmind—she-cat with black fur and green eyes who can see and speak to spirits (R)

**Apprentice, Nightpaw**

Wovenpelt—he-cat with brown and gray fur (R)

Birdflight—wiry brown she-cat (DC)

Mousefur—stocky, brown queen with long fur and an unusually long tail (DC)

**Apprentice, Shadowpaw**

Blazetail—yellowish she-cat with a flaming ginger tail (DC)

**Apprentice, Summerpaw**

Fishtail—white tomcat with yellow eyes and a sleek, short tail (DC)

Dogbark—brown queen with deep brown eyes and a raspy yowl (MC)

**Apprentice, Sunpaw**

Owlfur—mottled brown she-cat with unusually large eyes (SC)

**Apprentice, Wavepaw**

Whitebelly—black tom with green eyes and a pure white stomach (LC)

**Apprentices** Riverpaw—blue-gray she-cat with a streak of gray fur running down her nose (DC)

Nightpaw—skinny black tom (DC)

Ashpaw—light gray tomcat with long fur and pale blue eyes (DC)

Summerpaw—burly golden she-cat with white front paws (PC)

Bearpaw—dark brown tom (PC)

Greatpaw—tiger-striped she-cat with pale green eyes (PC)

Promisepaw—white queen with ginger fur on her back, and three yellow paws (PC)

Wavepaw—silver tomcat with long fur (LC)

Shadowpaw—dark gray, almost black she-cat with bright amber eyes (SC)

Sunpaw—tall he-cat with gold-and-ginger striped fur and huge paws (MC)

**Queens** Firebelly—reddish-gold she-cat with a weakness for small, helpless things. The oldest nursery queen. (DC)

**Kits,** Brackenkit, Peachkit, Wildkit, and Stormkit

Icewind—pale gray she-cat (LC)

**Kits,** Mudkit and Windkit

**Elders** Mudslide—dark brown tomcat with sinister yellow eyes. Sweet disposition despite his evil looks (DC)

Longfang—black he-cat with one brown eye and one blue eye. Blind in his brown eye. Has an oversized fang protruding from the right side of his mouth. (DC)

**Cats Outside the Clan** Trickster—lean ginger tom with a goldish tint in his pelt; a kittypet whose mother was a rogue-turned-kittypet

Queenie—plump ginger she-cat with long, pale fur and light blue eyes; a kittypet, and Trickster's sister

Cocoa—brown tabby who lives in the garden next to Trickster; a kittypet

Sweetheart—reddish Somali queen who lives in the garden next to Trickster; a kittypet

Samantha—tabby she-cat with kind hazel eyes who lives near Houndplace; a loner

Maju—dark brown tom with scarred ears and green eyes; a rogue

Ocarina—pale brown she-cat with dark brown eyes; daughter of Bone Marrow; a rogue

Thief—small black queen with dainty paws; a rogue

Hera—silver she-cat with long fur; a rogue

Hawk—mottled brown tomcat with piercing yellow eyes; a rogue

Tempus—albino he-cat with unusually long claws; a rogue

Zachary—tortoiseshell tomcat with blue eyes, a white chest, and black paws; a rogue

**Creatures Outside the Clan** Scars—battle-scarred badger who can speak to cats, currently resides in DuskClan territory

Moonchild—stargazing white fox who lives near Houndplace, and can speak to cats

Starchild—stargazing fox kit with bluish-gray fur who lives near Houndplace; Moonchild's daughter

Leader—wild-eyed black hound; Pack leader

Follower—second in command of Leader, a huge silver hound

Nameless Barker—brown and black she-hound

No Tail—tailless gray he-hound with golden eyes

Blood Fang—white he-hound with long limbs; Leader and Nameless Barker's son

Shadow—dark gray hound who follows Blood Fang

Bone Claw—light gray she-hound who follows Blood Fang

Low Step—rusty-brown hound with short legs who follows Blood Fang; Bone Claw's brother


	2. Prologue

Prologue: Shaded Promises

The cold light of the moon shone down on the forms of seven cats. The largest, a brown he-cat with ripped ears, bared his white fangs angrily. All of the others flinched, except for one. A tawny she-cat stepped forward and batted the tom on the nose. "Control yourself, Maju!" she spat. "If you let one of those stupid yowls of yours out, all of Houndplace will be in an uproar!"

Maju, the dark tom, drew back from the strike. He licked his nose tenderly, as if expecting to taste blood when he brought his tongue back into his mouth. His ears, or at least what remained of them, flattened against his skull. "You may have been Bone Marrow's kit, Ocarina," he growled. "But you have no power over me."

Ocarina smiled, almost chidingly. The expression jarred a distant memory in Maju's mind. "Oh, Maju, Maju, Maju," she mewed sweetly. "The others seem to think I do. Perhaps you never heard the story of my littermates."

"I heard enough of the gossip," Maju retorted. "I know that only one kit of her litter survived because she was stronger than her mate."

"Not at all," Ocarina meowed. "You see, I survived because I looked nothing like my father. Bone Marrow killed my four brothers and sisters because they all took after him. It's true; her mate, whoever he was, was too weak. He was killed by a puny fox after he started her kits." The light brown she-cat's tail swished lightly in the air as she spoke. "Mother didn't want any of us to turn out like him, so she killed any kit who looked like they would."

Maju took a step back, his tail bristling fearfully. Knowing Bone Marrow, it was the truth. He wouldn't have put kit-killing past the ruthless, foul-breathed queen. His green eyes glinted in the low light. Ocarina smiled back at him. Now Maju knew where he had seen that grin. It had been plastered all over Bone Marrow's face before she died. It was the look she had given whatever cat she had been yowling at. It was no wonder that Ocarina had survived; she was Bone Marrow's kit through and through, no matter the color of her pelt.

Having dealt with Maju, Ocarina turned back to the other five. "We are the survivors," she began in a calm, clear voice that belied her youth. "Out of the entirety of the Alliance of Destroyers, we alone are here to tell the tale. Most of us were killed in stupid ways, ways that made Bone Marrow laugh at their stupidity. Fang was hit by a Twoleg monster; he didn't look both ways before crossing the Thunderpath. Francine didn't remember the first rule of fox-fighting. Whiplash was old and blind; we killed him ourselves, but it was the way he was meant to die."

There were murmurs of agreement from the scattered rogues. Ocarina continued, and the babble died down immediately. "We are the survivors, the elite. I, Ocarina, Maju, Thief, Hera, Hawk, Tempus, and Zachary. Bone Marrow would be proud. Of all the AoDs, we alone have made it." She turned to Houndplace. "But if not for one cat, Bone Marrow would be here to praise us herself." Ocarina's voice dropped to a disgusted hiss. "Riversong."

"What's the plan?" a white tomcat with red eyes inquired. "Why are we at Houndplace, Ocarina? You have to have something going on in your head right now, some plan for revenge."

"I do, Tempus," Ocarina purred smugly. "You see, Riversong has changed her name to Riverstar, and has moved into our old camp with a bunch of those foul Clan cats." There were meows of outrage. The clearing had always belonged to the AoDs! "There is but one way to drive them out of our home: with a hound pack!"

"But those hounds are huge!" a silver queen protested. "They can swallow even the biggest cat in one gulp! How can we control them? It's like they're from another place. They're nothing like Twoleg dogs!"

"Well, Hera, we don't need to control them," Ocarina replied confidently. "We just need to lure them to Riverstar's little 'Clan' and let them do the dirty work. It's foolproof."

"How do you intend to break them out of Houndplace?" a stocky brown tom mused. Ocarina turned to him.

"You see, Hawk, there's a sweet little she-cat here by the name of Samantha. She's agreed to search for a weak point in the cage design, as well as select the most ruthless of hounds for us to use." Ocarina stopped as a slender tabby appeared.

"I have everything you asked for, Ocarina," she mewed. "If you'll follow me, I'll show you the hounds that are yours."

"Excellent," Ocarina meowed, trotting after Samantha. Maju, Tempus, Hawk, Hera, and the rest of the rogues followed their new leader. Samantha led the way to the hounds' cage. She flicked her tail to a corner.

"This would be your best point of entry," she meowed. "The hounds chew on this bar when there's nothing else to do. I've spoken to their leader. He says he wants to break free soon, and run under the moon. He also says he wants to kill again."

Ocarina poked her nose through the bars, despite Samantha's warning, and snapped her head back as huge jaws threatened to tear her muzzle off. Her hackles rose stiffly, bristling her to twice her normal size. "Was that...?"

"That was Follower. He's Leader's friend. Leader may trust me, but Follower doesn't." There was a pause. "Please...give them back..."

"What? Oh, your kits?" Ocarina asked. Samantha nodded her head rapidly, the pain of a mother separated from her children raw in her hazel eyes. "Your kits...I'm sorry. They weren't AoD material. We left them on the Thunderpath. I think if you hurry, you can still find a bit of Wheat's tail. But then again, the scavengers may have gotten to it by now."

Samantha's eyes widened, and she flung herself angrily at Ocarina, howling her kits' names into the night. The light brown she-cat reacted quickly, thrusting Samantha off her back and into the hound cage. Snarls ripped the air, mixed with the screams of a cat in agony. Ocarina watched in satisfaction as the wolves ripped Samantha apart. After a few minutes of watching the gory scene, she turned away. "Come on. We're wasting time," she ordered. "If anything, I did some good tonight."

"What good did you do?" the raspy mew of the cat called Thief inquired. Ocarina smiled as she passed the she-cat.

"I've given the hounds a taste for cat blood," she replied calmly. Thief nodded, her eyes glimmering in the moonlight. She fell in behind her leader.

Tempus stayed at the cage for a few moments longer. He licked a white paw and brought it over is ear once or twice. His red eyes showed no emotion other than pity. He shook his head slowly. "Samantha, you poor fool," he murmured, getting to his paws. He turned away from the gradually quieting growls, still shaking his head. "You should have known better than to try and fight Ocarina. You'll never win." He padded off into the night. "No cat has. No cat ever will. And that is why we obey her."

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

In the shadows of the cage, Leader licked his lips. The black wolf smiled, showing his red fangs. "Pack! Pack here! Here now!" he barked. His chosen pack got to their paws and gathered around him. "Smallfurs taste good."

"Good! Good!" Follower yelped. The Pack took up his cry. Leader let them chorus for a few minutes before silencing them with a wave of his thick, bushy tail.

"Pack run free! Free soon! Bite bar, run free! Eat more Smallfurs. Escape from dead-meat of the Furless." He saw nods of agreement from the Pack. None of them liked to eat the dead-meat the Furless brought them. It was cold, and someone else had caught it. "Hunt Smallfurs! Eat Smallfurs! Pa-a-a-A-A-A-a-ack!"

"Pa-a-a-A-A-A-a-ack!" the wolves howled in chorus, echoing him. Leader's black tail swished happily. The Pack was behind him. There was nothing that would stop them from escaping from the Furless who imprisoned them in the cage. Leader strode over to the corner bar and wrapped his fangs around it. He jerked his head in a sawlike motion, feeling the rasp of fangs on steel.

"Leader! Leader! Leader! Le-e-E-E-E-eader!" Follower yipped. The Pack echoed his cry, cheering the wolf on. Leader broke away from the bar.

"Bar strong," he commented, looking hopeless. The howling stopped. Leader looked from wolf to wolf. The hopeless look died quickly from his eyes. "Pack stronger! Pa-a-a-A-A-A-a-ack!"

"Pa-a-a-A-A-A-a-ack!" the Pack echoed eagerly. "Free! Free! Pa-a-a-A-A-A-a-ack!"


	3. Chapter 1

Seedgrowth twitched his tail at his apprentice, Promisepaw. "All right, Promisepaw," he meowed, "tell me about this plant here. I want its name, what it's used for, and how to use it."

Promisepaw, a white she-cat with bright amber eyes, stuck her pink tongue out of the corner of her mouth thoughtfully. She approached the plant and patted the leaves with a paw. Seedgrowth watched without a word. Promisepaw reached out again, this time knocking loose a scarlet berry. "Uh, these would be deathberries. They're used for killing cats, and about three will bring down a strong warrior if they eat them," she mewed, backing away carefully.

Seedgrowth couldn't help a purr of amusement. "Very good," he praised. "You're coming along quite well with your training, Promisepaw. You're a fast learner. I remember how only last week you told me they were juniper berries."

Promisepaw ducked her white head in embarrassment. She had hoped Seedgrowth would have forgotten about that by now. "What else?" she asked, pouncing up and down. "Where are we going next?"

"Calm down, calm down." Seedgrowth placed a dark paw on her gingery back. Promisepaw settled down slightly. "We've been out here all day. How about heading back?"

"Okay. What are we going to do tomorrow?" Promisepaw gazed up at her mentor with excited eyes. Seedgrowth purred again.

"You'll find out. Let's get back to camp now, shall we?"

The two cats padded together towards the familiar brush that marked the outside of the PromiseClan camp. Seedgrowth hung back, allowing his apprentice to enter first. The medicine cat stood at the camp entrance, gazing out at his home.

The PromiseClan camp was situated in a clearing in the forest. There was Tallrock, where Riverstar addressed the Clan. Her den was in the bushes beside the huge, egg-shaped rock. Going over to the right, Seedgrowth's eyes found a large den hidden by tree branches. Under those branches was a ditch of reasonable size where the warriors slept. He padded into the camp, eyes missing none of the familiar landmarks. Across the camp from the warriors den was the apprentices den, a shady cove that was given its shape by an old stone Twoleg structure.

Walking along the edge of the camp, Seedgrowth found his own den, a massive knothole in an old tree. There was plenty of space for him, Promisepaw, and his supplies inside. Rather than follow his apprentice to the den, Seedgrowth instead went along the rest of the camp. He slipped across the middle and into a huge bramble thicket. Lying on a bed of moss and ferns was a golden-gingery queen. Four kits nursed at her belly, while the fifth and smallest lay between her front paws. Her eyes were raw with pain.

"Goldenkit..." she whispered, her voice trembling. Seedgrowth licked between her ears gently. The queen gave a yowl of pain and grief. "GOLDENKIIIIIT!"

"I know, Firebelly," Seedgrowth mewed. "But you mustn't blame yourself. You did everything you could for Goldenkit. It's not your fault StarClan called her back to them so soon."

Firebelly licked the dead Goldenkit gently. "It's not fair...StarClan has many warriors already. Why did they need Goldenkit? They have so many of my kits already." Seedgrowth would have stopped her, but he thought it was best if the old she-cat got everything out of her system. "Darkkit...Hollykit...Shorekit...Lionkit...Coalkit...Why?"

"Our warriors ancestors work in mysterious ways," Seedgrowth murmured, trying to soothe her. "When did it happen?"

"Around...around...s-sunhigh," Firebelly rasped. "I...I didn't tell any cat...I couldn't believe it...Goldenkit was fine last night...And today...she...died." Seedgrowth gave her ears a gentle lick. "Perhaps it is a sign from StarClan," Firebelly continued in a serious voice. "Yes...they are trying to tell me something...this is my last litter. I will join the elders when my kits are apprenticed."

Seedgrowth nodded. "They will welcome an honorable cat like you," he meowed. "I'll tell Riverstar." Firebelly nodded, giving her dead kit another lick as if trying to stir her still heart.

The sand-pelted tom padded out of the den. The first cat he ran into was a blessing from StarClan: the PromiseClan deputy, Sunface. Firebelly's son looked much like his mother, but his pelt was less gold and more ginger. The red tom dipped his head. "Evening, Seedgrowth," he meowed. "Need anything?"

"Riverstar," Seedgrowth replied. Sunface flicked his tail towards Tallrock, where the blue-gray form of the PromiseClan leader could be seen as she stretched after her nap. Seedgrowth pushed his muzzle into the deputy's flank as a sign of thanks before trotting off to greet the leader.

He was almost too late. He caught Riverstar in midleap as she jumped onto the Tallrock. "Riverstar, I need to speak with you!" he insisted. Riverstar dropped back to the ground, nodding. She was a bit bigger than most she-cats, with dark blue-gray fur, and dark gray stripes going horizontally across her lower back.

"What's up?" she asked, giving her chest a couple of licks. "And can it wait? Seedgrowth, you know what I was planning to do tonight...You now how much it will mean to Sleetfur."

"It's Goldenkit."

Riverstar froze, stiffening her shoulders. Her blue eyes were troubled. "No...it can't...she isn't..." Seedgrowth nodded sadly. Riverstar moaned softly.

"She was the smallest..." she murmured. "Seedgrowth, are StarClan angry with us? Fishtail's tail was nearly torn off by a fox last moon. Heavenstep's two kits were born dead. I'm wondering what we have done wrong." She hesitated, flicking her tail for Seedgrowth to enter her den. When they were both inside, she whispered, "In my dream at the Moonstone, Foxpelt told me that I was right to leave DuskClan with you...Has he changed his mind?"

Seedgrowth pushed aside all his fears. "StarClan do not change their minds," he meowed. "We were right to start PromiseClan."

"But what of the four rogues we took in? Pyrefoot, Sparkfur, Hexmind, and Wovenpelt? Has StarClan abandoned us because of them?"

"Riverstar, you're acting like a paranoid queen!" snapped Seedgrowth. "Stop worrying! StarClan have not abandoned us! We are PromiseClan! We are a Clan, perfect in the eyes of our warrior ancestors."

Riverstar's hackles fell. She looked acutely embarrassed at being reprimanded by the medicine cat. "Y...You're right, Seedgrowth," she meowed. "I got carried away...Of course StarClan love us...We're just have a run of bad luck." She looked up. "Yes...and tonight PromiseClan will gain three new warriors...always a good sign."

"The more to mentor Firebelly's kits," Seedgrowth mewed. Riverstar purred and rubbed her head against his shoulders.

"Thank you, Seedgrowth," she said as they left the den. "I suppose I just needed someone to renew my faith in StarClan. Every cat has their moments of doubt, I'm sure. I'm not the first leader to have those thoughts and I won't be the last."

"If you have any dreams, though, be sure to tell me," Seedgrowth reminded her. Riverstar nodded and leapt onto Tallrock.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Tallrock for a Clan meeting!" she yowled. Cats started to appear from the various dens and shadows where they had been eating or sharing tongues. Sunface padded to sit beside the Tallrock, the proper place for the deputy.

Five cats stepped out of the small crowd, two larger and battle-scarred, three lean and tough. Riverstar fixed her gaze on the reddening sky, right up to the heavens were StarClan hunted. "I, Riverstar, leader of PromiseClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these three apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." Her gaze dropped to rest on each of the three younger cats. "Riverpaw, Ashpaw, Nightpaw," she meowed, "do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"

Riverpaw stepped forward. "I do," she mewed solemnly. Her brothers, Ashpaw and Nightpaw, started and nearly jumped forwards to stand beside her.

"I d–" they started to meow in unison. Nightpaw motioned for Ashpaw to go first, while Ashpaw did the same at the same time. After struggling for a while, they gave up and meowed, "I do" together. Amused purrs rippled through the assembled cats.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior names: Riverpaw, from this moment you will be known as Riverpelt. StarClan honors your courage and your strength, and we welcome you as a full member of PromiseClan." Riverstar laid her muzzle on top of Riverpelt's bowed head. Riverpelt gave her shoulder a lick and padded off to sit beside the other warriors.

Seedgrowth nodded. A StarClan ritual was always a good thing. Riverstar continued down the line of apprentices. "Ashpaw, from this moment you will be known as Ashfire. StarClan honors your strength and your compassion, and we welcome you as a full member of PromiseClan." She did the same with Ashfire as she had with Riverpelt. The tom responded with the same shoulder-lick and sat beside Riverpelt.

"Nightpaw, from this moment you will be known as Nighthawk. StarClan honors your speed and your bravery, and we welcome you as a full member of PromiseClan." Nighthawk licked his leader's shoulder and padded over to sit beside his littermates.

"Riverpelt! Ashfire! Nighthawk!" PromiseClan chanted eagerly, welcoming their newest warriors. "Riverpelt! Ashfire! Nighthawk!"

"In tradition of our warrior ancestors," Riverstar added when the cheers had died down, "Riverpelt, Ashfire, and Nighthawk must keep silent vigil while we sleep tonight. But that doesn't mean we can't celebrate with a feast first!" Yowls of agreement rose from her comment. Seedgrowth kept one eye trained on Promisepaw. He could clearly picture the eager apprentice annoying the newest warrior trio.

The sandy-brown tom was about to grab something from the fresh-kill pile when Sunface intercepted him. "Listen," the PromiseClan deputy meowed, "I need to ask you about my mother, Firebelly. We, that is, Radianteyes, Firebelly, and myself, were going to bury Goldenkit tomorrow, just the three of us, and we need you to say the final words over her. Will you do that for us?"

Seedgrowth knew that Firebelly was both Sunface's and Radianteyes's mother, making Goldenkit their sister. He nodded. Kit burials were usually not made into a Clan affair. "Sure. I wouldn't let you do it without the proper words to send her to StarClan." Sunface nodded his thanks and padded off to chat with the newest warriors.

Seedgrowth sighed softly. Suddenly, he did not feel very hungry at all. The incidents played over and over in his head: Goldenkit's death, Riverstar's momentary loss of faith in StarClan, the warrior ceremony...Was PromiseClan really doomed?

A chill wind picked up, tugging at his pelt. Seedgrowth shivered. Leaf-fall was not too far off...he knew that next moon there would be a day of equal light and darkness, an equinox. After that, it was only a matter of time before the solstice. Leaf-bare would be cruel for the growing Clan...Seedgrowth shivered another time.

"Seedgrowth!" Nighthawk shouted. Seedgrowth jumped. "If you don't hurry up, you won't get any fresh-kill!"

Seedgrowth couldn't help a purr of amusement. Nighthawk had spent nearly a moon in his den as a kit, and the two cats were close friends. The sandy tom padded over to the fresh-kill pile to eat. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad...

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

That night, the medicine cat apprentice's dreams were filled with fleeing cats and screeching warriors. Promisepaw let out a mewl of terror. Then, out of the darkness, a cat appeared to her. It was a young tom with bright goldy-ginger fur, almost like Firebelly's. Promisepaw was relieved by his wiry body (perhaps he could help her escape this madness), but her relief turned to disgust when she saw the collar around his neck. "You're a kittypet!" she spat.

"I may be, but I come with a message from StarClan," the tom replied.

"Since when do our warrior ancestors send Twoleg pets?" Promisepaw demanded. The tom's hackles rose.

"D'you want the message or not?" he asked. Promisepaw shrugged.

"What is it, you stupid kittypet?" Promisepaw didn't know why she was dreaming of a house cat or why he claimed to know of StarClan, but she didn't believe him at all.

The kittypet rolled his eyes, muttering darkly to himself. Finally he spoke, "PromiseClan is in great danger," he meowed. His next words chilled Promisepaw to the bone. His voice suggested that of a powerful warrior, not that of some little kittypet. She knew StarClan was speaking to her. "_Hope, Shadows, Fire, and Water will come together and save the promised Clan._"

"What's that mean?" Promisepaw asked nervously, fully aware that StarClan had entrusted her with a prophecy. "And who are you? Will I ever see you?"

The ginger kittypet shrugged."My name is Trickster," he mewed. "And I don't know if I'll ever see you, or what it means." His lip curled, and he added, "After all, I'm just a stupid kittypet. What do I know?"

"I'm sorry, Trickster!" Promisepaw mewed. "I...I didn't think before I meowed. I didn't realize you really were sent by StarClan. I want to see you outside of dreams."

"Maybe you will, maybe you won't. You're kind of cute, Promisepaw." Trickster looked up as if distracted by some sound. His ears twitched. "Ugh...not those stinking pellets agin," he snarled, and faded from Promisepaw's view.

The white she-cat awoke with a start. She padded from the den, tail twitching nervously. She sat in the center of the camp and gazed up at the night sky. Her eyes found Silverpelt, and she begged the heavenly warriors silently, _Guide my paws to do your will, StarClan._


	4. Chapter 2

Promisepaw padded back into the camp, her jaws full of fresh-kill. Her belly growled hungrily, and the sound made her proud. Yes...she had obeyed the warrior code to the letter and had not eaten a single mouthful of prey while she was hunting. The white apprentice dropped her prey in the fresh-kill pile and took a mouse for herself to eat. Now that she had hunted for the Clan, she could eat.

"Promisepaw! Promisepaw!" someone yowled. Promisepaw looked up to see Riverpelt. The gray warrior touched her nose to the apprentice's. "Hey! It's good to see you."

"Nice to see you too, _Riverpelt,_" Promisepaw mewed. Riverpelt shuddered happily at the sound of her warrior name. "What have you been up to?"

"Oh, you know, the usual warrior stuff," Riverpelt replied. "Patrols, hunting...by the way, I watched you get that thrush. Nice jump, that."

Promisepaw's whiskers twitched embarrassedly. The apprentice medicine cat recalled the catch: she had startled the bird with a stick cracking under her paw, and had leapt onto its back before it had gotten too high off the ground. She hadn't thought any cat, much less her friend, had seen her. "Maybe if I was training to be a warrior and not a medicine cat I could have gotten it easier," she muttered.

"Well, you caught it, and that's all that counts," Riverpelt meowed. "That bird will be filling some cat's belly and not pecking seeds off the forest floor. A catch is a catch. Anyways, I was wondering if you could take a look at my paw. It's been hurting since the last patrol."

"Let me take a look," Promisepaw mewed, and Riverpelt sat down and lifted the paw. Promisepaw sniffed the pink pad. Dried blood was around the center of it. She gave it a gentle lick, and Riverpelt flinched. "Looks like you've got something stuck in the pad."

"I might have stepped on something. It was dark and all..."

"I'll try and get it out. My teeth are smaller, so I should be able to get it out easier than you." Promisepaw licked again and felt the bump of whatever Riverpelt had stepped on. She nodded and set her fangs on either side of the bump. With a soft grunt, she tugged. Riverpelt let out a sharp meow of pain. Promisepaw stumbled backwards, the thorn flying through the air to land beside her.

"What was it?" Riverpelt asked, licking her bleeding pad. Promisepaw prodded the sharp thing with a paw. It was long and thin, colored bright, unnatural green. She shook her head, scraping a shallow hole to bury it in.

"Some Twoleg thing," she replied, patting the soil down firmly. "Come on, let's get you all bandaged up."

Promisepaw led Riverpelt into the den and rooted through the supplies. She came back with a few leaf-wrapped bundles and a wad of cobwebs. Unwrapping the first bundle, she revealed a few herbs. She chewed the leaves and spat the juice onto Riverpelt's pawpad. "This will stop any infection," she explained. Then she pressed the cobwebs one by one onto the warrior's paw. "And this will stop the bleeding. You're doing fine, Riverpelt."

"Good job," Seedgrowth meowed, stepping out of the shadows behind the tree trunk. "You'll make a fine medicine cat, Promisepaw."

Before Promisepaw could say anything, Riverpelt added her praise. "Isn't she great? Look out, Seedgrowth, you've got competition! Did you see the way she took that thing out? Totally painless! It was over so fast I didn't have time to hurt!"

Promisepaw finally managed to squeeze a word in edgewise. "Okay, I did a good job, but probably used too much marigold, or not enough, or marigold wasn't the right herb to use, or—"

"Learn to accept flattery, Promisepaw," Seedgrowth meowed, laughter at the edge of his voice. "It's part of being a medicine cat. Cats will tell you how good a job you did, and then some. Just purr and say thanks."

Promisepaw purred. "Thanks," she mewed. Riverpelt licked her behind the ears and left, hardly limping at all.

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you, Promisepaw," Seedgrowth murmured when Riverpelt was out of earshot. "Ever since Riverpelt, Ashfire, and Nighthawk received their warrior names last week, you've been acting very unusual. All of your energy seems gone. You look and smell very worried. Is something wrong?"

Promisepaw sighed softly. "Seedgrowth...I had...a dream...from StarClan, and..." There was no mistaking the relief in her mentor's gaze, but he didn't interrupt her. "A kittypet appeared to me..."

"A kittypet," Seedgrowth mused. "A most unusual messenger from StarClan. But, continue."

"Well, I have to back up. In my dream, there were cats running and crying out in fear. Fear-scent was everywhere, along with the smell of blood and death. I wanted to run, but I couldn't move...That's when the kittypet appeared. He...he said he had a message from StarClan."

"And what was this message?"

Promisepaw took a deep breath to steady her racing heart. "He said 'Hope, Shadows, Fire, and Water will come together and save the promised Clan.' I've been thinking about it a lot lately. I think the 'promised Clan' is us...after all, we're called PromiseClan. But who are Hope, Shadows, Fire, and Water? And what do they have to save the Clan from?"

Seedgrowth was silent. His tail swayed slowly from side to side as he thought. "I'm not sure, Promisepaw," he meowed. "But while your dream worries me, it reassures me as well. StarClan have not forgotten us, as Riverstar feared. They have just chosen a new cat to receive their words." He shook his head wonderingly. "Well, I'll think about it. If I come up with anything, I'll be sure to tell you." He licked behind her ears. "And I'm very impressed with how you handled Riverpelt's injury today."

Promisepaw looked down at her paws. In particular, the white one. It always amused her how she could have paws colored the way she did. Three were white, while one of the ones in front was as white as the rest of her fur. She gave it a lick. "Well, I learned from the best," she mewed. Seedgrowth purred, rubbing his head against her flank.

"As did I: Healingtouch, the DuskClan medicine cat." He gave a happy sigh. "Well, I'm going to catch a quick nap. You're free to do whatever you want with the rest of your day."

Promisepaw padded off in the direction of the apprentices den. She poked her head in to see her sister, Summerpaw, seated on a spur of rock on the wall of the den. "Hey! It's the future Clan medicine cat!" she mewed, tail curling up happily. The other apprentices turned and meowed their greetings.

Promisepaw's gaze fell on each cat in turn. Summerpaw, Bearpaw, Greatpaw, her littermates, the first litter born in PromiseClan. Summerpaw was a beautiful golden tabby with a white chest and white front paws. Greatpaw looked like their father, Quartzfur. Bearpaw was dark brown of fur. Wavepaw, an ash gray tom with long fur who had come from LakeClan with Icewind and Whitebelly. Sunpaw, a gold and ginger striped tom who had left MeadowClan with his mentor, Dogbark. And Shadowpaw, a dark gray cat with gleaming tawny eyes. She had come from SwampClan by herself, with no other cats to accompany her.

"Hey Promisepaw!" Bearpaw meowed.

"Promisepaw! What's going on?" Greatpaw asked, rubbing his head against his sister's.

"I saw you with some fresh-kill today," Sunpaw mewed. "I didn't know medicine cats trained to be warriors too!"

"You didn't? Really? Wow, Dawnbreak had an apprentice. You remember Snowpaw, don't you?" asked Wavepaw.

"Snowpaw? I remember her! She's got blue eyes, but she's not deaf." Greatpaw purred. "Hard to forget such a lucky cat."

"StarClan smiles on her," quiet Shadowpaw murmured. Promisepaw looked from cat to cat. These were the other apprentices. Theses were her friends. She could trust them with anything...even StarClan prophecies.

"Hey, guys, I need some help with something," she began. Summerpaw, the biggest and oldest of the apprentices leapt down from the rocky spur to touch her sister's nose with her own.

"What is it? Need someone to get hurt for your assessment? I volunteer Bearpaw!"

"Hey!" the brown tom hissed, swiping playfully at Summerpaw. "Keep talkin' like that and I'll make it you who gets hurt!"

"Settle down, furballs!" Greatpaw snapped. "Promisepaw's trying to get a meow in sideways here!" The two siblings looked up from their playful tussle. Summerpaw was seated on Bearpaw's side, while the other apprentice was scrabbling his paws in the soil on the floor of then den.

"Sorry, sis," mewed Bearpaw.

"Won't happen again," Summerpaw added with a wink.

"What is it, Promisepaw?" Sunpaw asked. Promisepaw settled down on the sandy floor of the den.

"I had a dream from StarClan," she mewed. "And got a prophecy. Maybe you guys could help me out with it?"

"What'd it say?" Wavepaw asked, sitting down beside her.

"It said _Hope, Shadows, Fire, and Water will come together and save the promised Clan_." She looked around. "Anyone have any ideas?"

"Nope," Bearpaw grunted. "Other than the promised Clan part. But you probably already figured that one out."

"That's a doozy of a riddle," Summerpaw breathed. "Tell ya what, Promisepaw. We'll think about it as much as we can, all right? It's been a while since we've gotten a good puzzle to discuss after training."

"Oh, yeah. It's been moons since the last one. _Everywhere and nowhere, seen and never seen, never touched but always heard._"

"Breath," all of the apprentices mewed in unison, with much eye-rolling and tail-twitching. The riddle had been of Ashfire's creation, and had stumped them all for a good many days. Many apprentices believed the answer to be StarClan, until a burst of insight from Shadowpaw had brought about the real answer.

"All right," Promisepaw meowed. "Hey, I'm not doing anything tomorrow. I was going to go out on a little exploration. Any cat who wants to join me, can."

"I'll go!" Promisepaw's three littermates mewed together. The looked at each other, then fell about laughing. Wavepaw, Sunpaw, and Shadowpaw looked on. Sometimes it was hard to be the only apprentices without family in PromiseClan.

"Tomorrow at sunhigh, then," Promisepaw said. The others nodded. It was going to be an apprentice affair, no warriors allowed!

Promisepaw left the den feeling lighter than she had when she had entered. Being the apprentice medicine cat was hard work; she barely got any time off to just be herself. Seedgrowth asked a lot from his apprentice, but Promisepaw knew it was for the best. Even though he was a young cat, Seedgrowth would eventually get older, and finally have to retire to the elders. Promisepaw would be a fully-grown cat by that time, and have her warrior name as well.

She walked without looking down, and soon tripped over the tail of a sleeping cat. The white apprentice shook her head dizzily, looking around for the source of her stumble. She spotted a brown she-cat by the name of Birdflight, who was blinking lazily in the sun. "Who's wha?" she mumbled sleepily. "Oh...hey, Prom'sepaw..."

"Sorry, Birdflight!" Promisepaw mewed hastily. "I just wasn't looking where I was going."

"'S'allright." Birdflight yawned. She got up, stretching. Birdflight was a good and loyal warrior, but she seemed to sleep more during the day than other cats. She was Sunface's chosen cat to lead moonhigh patrols.

"Oh, hey Birdflight," Promisepaw began as the warrior lay her head back on her paws. One hazel flicked open. "Do you know where Twolegplace is?"

"Ask...a warrior..."

Promisepaw was about to remind Birdflight that she _was_ a warrior, but decided against it. The white apprentice shook her head slowly and padded off to find another cat to ask. She spotted Ashfire stepping into the camp. "Ashfire, where can I find Twolegplace?" she asked.

"Why in the name of holy StarClan would you want to go there?" the gray warrior asked.

"I...just thought I'd check up on the gardens. I mean, Twolegs have been known to plant some useful things like thyme and mint." Ashfire shrugged, flicking his tail out of the camp entrance.

"Bear east. You can't miss it. The stench of Twolegs is everywhere." Ashfire paused to stare curiously at the apprentice. "Shouldn't you be going with a warrior?" he asked.

"I'll be fine," Promisepaw assured him. "Medicine cats train to be warriors as well as healers." She dipped her head to him and raced out of the clearing.

Promisepaw sped through the woods, a streak of white and ginger. She didn't know why she was running; she had all day to get there, and the scent of Twolegs was everywhere. Perhaps there was something subconscious about it, something that was annoying her on an internal level. She slowed her pace only slightly, and continued along more calmly.

The apprentice padded through the woods, looking around with wide, wondering eyes. She had never gone to Twolegplace before. Every tree was strange and new, every rock unknown. Promisepaw leapt up on top of a fence and gazed down at the garden beneath. She spotted a flash of ginger fur in the bushes and focused her lightning attention on it. The cat finished making dirt in the bush, and started to pad back to its Twoleg nest. Promisepaw's golden eyes grew wide as she recognized the pale blue collar.

"Trickster!" she hissed, not knowing what reaction to expect. The kittypet turned around, his ears twitching. His eyes grew round as full moons.

"Promisepaw?" he whispered.


	5. Chapter 3

Promisepaw dropped down from the fence. She padded up to Trickster. The kittypet gave her fur a sniff, his eyes closing with the blissful scents of forest. The shiny bell on his kittypet collar jingled softly as he moved. "Trickster? Is that who you are?"

"Yes. And are you Promisepaw?"

"Yes, I am." Promisepaw's tail twitched. "Why? How do you know me?"

"I had a dream about you," meowed Trickster. "I dreamed I was out in my housefolk's gardens in the nighttime. I was prowling around, not really hunting." He paused, then added, "You know, I almost caught this sparrow once, and I'm an expert mouser. Although my housefolk don't seem to like the mice I catch for them. You know, I was wondering if maybe you could—"

"Your dream, Trickster?" Promisepaw pressed. Trickster blinked.

"Oh, yeah. My dream! Well, I was prowling around, you know, like I like to do when I'm bored. Anyways, all of a sudden, from the forest, there's this huge flash of light. I'm just standing there, mouth open. And...then you come out of the forest, all glowy and bright. 'Who are you?' I ask. 'My name is Promisepaw,' you say, in this same voice you have now. And then you're like, 'StarClan has chosen you.' 'StarClan? Who's StarClan and what are they choosing me for?'"

Promisepaw waited while Trickster took care of an itch behind his ear. The ginger kittypet continued, "Well, you look at me funny, kind of like you're doing now. 'StarClan are everything,' you say. 'They're the cry of a newborn kit, the unity of a Clan, the bond between mentor and apprentice. StarClan are the frost on the ground, the leaves on the trees, the air we breathe. And they have called you to follow their will, Trickpaw.'"

"Wait, wait," Promisepaw mewed, waving her tail to stop Trickster's speech. "I called you Trickpaw? _Trickpaw?_"

"Yeah. Why? Is there something I don't get here?"

Promisepaw started to pace anxiously. "This is so cool! I mean, StarClan called a...I mean they actually wanted a...to..." She looked up at the confused kittypet. "Let me explain. In the Clans, we name young cats after an attribute, such as their black tail. While they are still in the nursery, we refer to them by that attribute, and the title of 'kit,' like Blackkit. Then, when they're six moons old, they are apprenticed to a warrior, and the kit becomes 'paw.' Now our apprentice's name is Blackpaw. Am I going too fast for you?"

"No, I get it. What else?"

"Well, when the cat completes their warrior training, they take on a warrior name that best suits them or their attribute. Blackpaw's name would likely become Blacktail. Let's say Blacktail becomes deputy of ExampleClan, and his Clan leader dies. Then Blacktail would share dreams with StarClan, be granted nine lives, and take on the name of Blackstar."

Trickster's eyes widened. "So wait...you're saying that this StarClan wants me to change my name...?"

"And join a Clan. Yes, that's exactly what I think they want from you." Promisepaw laid her tail on his flank. "In fact, I think you should come with me, Trickster. StarClan has chosen the two of us for greatness."

Trickster looked uncertain. "But wait...you never told me how you knew my name."

Promisepaw told him everything about her dream. The kittypet listened in wide-eyed awe. His fur rose, his eyes blazed hungrily at the description of the dream, almost as if he wanted to hear more, to see more, to be in the dream himself. When the white she-cat stopped, he was speechless. "By the way," Promisepaw mewed. "Before I woke up, you said something about pellets. What was that all about?"

Trickster laughed. "Oh, that. Yeah, it's funny, really. See, I woke up from my dream because my housefolk were filling my bowl with more pellets. They do it every morning."

"How many moons are you?" Promisepaw asked curiously.

"Me? Just over eight moons, you?"

"Eight moons tomorrow, or so Riverstar says." Promisepaw looked around. "Will you do it? Will you leave behind the life of a kittypet and return to the wild?"

Trickster looked around as if expecting to see a chorus of ghostly cats urging him to leave his housefolk behind. He shivered excitedly. This was the chance he had been waiting for his whole life, a chance to break away from his mundane life and start a new one, filled with danger. He opened his mouth to say yes, there was nothing more he wanted when suddenly—

Promisepaw let out a screech of terror as a hefty weight crashed into her back. She whirled around to see a bulky brown cat staring her down. He raised a paw, claws extended, to swipe at her. Promisepaw was afraid, then she noticed the speed he was coming at her. _Slow kittypet,_ she thought, ducking under the blow as easily as if he had been standing still. With a twist of her thin body, she landed on his back and dug her claws and fangs into his fur. The kittypet yowled.

"Cocoa! No! She's not—!" Trickster shouted. "Promisepaw, don't hurt—!" The two cats kept squalling, Promisepaw always coming out on top of her soft, fat opponent. Trickster threw back his head and wailed angrily. The fight stopped. "Cocoa, off of her; Promisepaw, leave him alone."

Trickster waited until Cocoa and Promisepaw had separated. "What're you thinkin', Trick?" Cocoa mewed disbelievingly. "That's a forest cat! Ya can't trust 'em as far as ya can throw 'em!" Promisepaw raised her hackles and spat. "Look at him! I bet he was gonna lure ya into one of them false senses of security, then grab ya and eat ya!"

"For starters, that's a she-cat," Trickster meowed. "Her name is Promisepaw and she's—"

"Promisepaw? Hah! Leave it to them stupid savage cats to think up dumb names like that! See, now you and me, Trickster and Cocoa, easy to pronounce. Ya don't get lost in the sybalulls...er, byllasuls...uh...symbalills..."

Promisepaw gave a series of coughs that sounded remarkably like "Syllables, you stupid furball!" Trickster gave her an angry glare, but the forest cat ignored him, wrapping her tail smugly over her paws.

"Listen, Cocoa, these forest cats are a lot smarter than us kittypets, and—"

"Kittypets? Where'd ya get a word like than?"

"It's the forest cats' word. Anyways, they have ghosts that watch over them and give them weird messages to figure out. Well, I'm a part of one of those messages. Promisepaw says I have to go with her and live in the forest."

"NO!" there was a yowl from the other fence. Trickster, Cocoa, and Promisepaw turned to see a she-cat running towards them. Her fur reminded Promisepaw of Sunface's. She wore a white collar around her neck. She pushed her muzzle into Trickster's fur. "I won't let you leave."

"Sweetheart..." Trickster muttered, his whiskers twitching with embarrassment. Promisepaw felt a twinge of jealousy; _she_ wouldn't mind pushing her nose into Trickster's pelt. But then she remembered her duty to StarClan: medicine cats were forbidden to have kits. No matter what happened, she and Trickster would never be mates.

"Listen, Sweetheart, I have to leave. This whole GhostClan thing says I have to. And they're everything, like the fur on our tails...or the fruit on the trees...or the sound of our housefolk's voice...or something like that..." The kittypet tom shook his head, looking bewildered. "Look, I have to go. There's nothing I can do about it. I'll come back and visit you, though!"

Promisepaw kept her mouth shut. She wasn't about to tell him that the warrior code forbade mingling with Twolegs or kittypets. _Ah, but you sent him to me in a dream,_ she thought to her warrior ancestors. _So technically, I'm not breaking the warrior code here. You led me to Trickster. You even sent him a dream!_

Sweetheart whimpered softly and nuzzled even closer to Trickster. The tom rolled his eyes. Cocoa gave his old friend a rough nudge. Promisepaw studied Trickster carefully, then meowed, "Have your Twolegs taken you to the Cutter yet?"

"The Cutter? Who's that?"

"Have they taken you to..." Promisepaw tried to remember what her mentor had told her about kittypets. Their Twoleg owners took them to a Twoleg called the Cutter, who took away their tomhood or queenhood. The kittypets then became lazy and complacent, not even caring to continue the future of their ancestors. But there had been a description...Seedgrowth had once spoken with a kittypet who had been there. "...a place that smells of Twolegs and dogs? And something more...something foul? Filled with bright lights and cold surfaces?"

Trickster thought, then nodded. "Oh, you must mean the vet. Yeah, I've been there a few times. Why?"

"Have they...taken your..." Promisepaw tried to make motions for him to understand. Trickster looked confused, thoroughly lost. "Did they cut..."

Cocoa, surprisingly, caught right on. "She wants to know if they have fixed you," he meowed. Trickster shook his head.

"No, not yet. Although, my housefolk keep talking about the day I'm getting it done. It's sometime next moon." He closed his eyes and purred happily. "And then I'll be just like all the other toms around here. I'll finally belong."

Promisepaw almost bristled with horror. "They'll take away your tomhood!" she hissed.

"So? Then I can choose any she-cat I want to mate with, and neither of us has to worry about taking care of the kittens." Trickster put his head to the side. "You make it sound like losing that is a bad thing."

"You'll get lazy!"

"I'll be more at peace with the world."

"You'll never have little kits running around and calling you Father!"

"Who wants that? I never want to grow up! This way, I'll stay young forever!"

Promisepaw opened her mouth to protest. Then she realized that no matter what she said, Trickster would counter it. She thought hard. There had to be something...Of course! Pointing to the plump kittypet called Cocoa, she mewed, "If you let them Cut you, you'll wind up like him."

"So? Cocoa's a nice cat."

"No. You'll get all fat and—"

"HEY!" Cocoa yowled. Promisepaw ignored him cooly.

"—and you'll never be able to hunt again. You'll lose all of your will to stalk prey. Ask Cocoa." She turned to the tabby. "Do you like to hunt?" she asked. Cocoa shook his head violently.

"No way! All that gross blood and stuff! Besides, stuff moves too fast. I don't care anymore. I mean, it used to be fun and all, but now it's just stupid..."

Trickster looked horrified. Promisepaw turned to Sweetheart. "Yes, I've been fixed," she meowed, answering the apprentice's unspoken question.

"And what about toms?" Promisepaw asked. "What do they mean to you now? How do you see them? What do you think about kittens?"

"Kittens are nice and all," Sweetheart admitted. "I mean, I really do like you, Trick. It's just...I don't _love_ you. I used to but ever since my operation...I don't know. I can't love anymore. At least, not toms. And I never get those urges to roam at night and yowl for toms to come and play with me." She shook her head. "Now it seems so...like Cocoa said...stupid."

Trickster's eyes were wide with shock. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Cocoa though hunting was stupid. Sweetheart didn't love toms anymore. Everything he had known was shattered by this tiny, white wildcat. Nothing was the same. Housefolk were Twolegs. They didn't take care of him, they controlled his future. He was their kittypet puppet. He turned to Promisepaw, mouth agape. "They're...not being serious...are you?" He turned back to his friends.

"Totally truthful," Cocoa confirmed.

"Well...yes," Sweetheart mewed, looking at her paws.

Promisepaw licked Trickster's flank gently. "Look, if you don't want to come, I understand. I'll leave out of your life if you want me to."

"No," the kittypet croaked. "No. I'm...coming with you. Just...I need some time to...think about everything. Can you...come back...tomorrow?"

"I'll be here at sunhigh," Promisepaw mewed. "On the fence. I'll wait for you, Trickster. But at sundown, I'm going back to my Clan, all right? After that, I won't come back here. If you decide to join, it will be up to you to find my Clan." She waited until he nodded his assent. Then, dipping her head to Cocoa and Sweetheart, she added, "Nice to meet you," and leapt on top of the fence. She glanced over her shoulder one last time at Trickster, who was being comforted by his two kittypet friends.

Promisepaw's tail twitched slightly. Trickster saw the gesture. _She's...she's asking me to join her! She's beckoning for me..._He felt as though a piece of his heart was walking away from him as Promisepaw gathered herself up and jumped over the edge of the fence, back into the forest where she belonged.


	6. Chapter 4

The pellets clattered into his dish. Trickster awoke with a meow. His housefolk, whose name he knew to be Janie, patted his head lovingly. He rubbed his head against her hand as a sign of affection. She rumbled something in housefolk language and walked away. Trickster stretched lazily, yawning as he did so.

He thought about the previous day. The appearance of the cat from his dream...and the sickening revelation of the awful truth of the Cutter. He shivered. No...that couldn't be true. Then he thought, _Well, it's been ages since I've seen Cocoa go after something other than his dish...And Sweetheart's more of a flirt than a lover now. She's always talking about her latest fling with some tomcat or another..._He sighed a cat sigh.

Trickster got up from his basket and padded over to his dish. He sniffed the pellets with a grimace of disgust. He had never liked the food his housefolk fed him. That was why he had taught himself to hunt. The ginger kittypet gazed longingly outside. It was a fine summer day, the grass was green, the sky was blue, the air...He sniffed. No good. The door was there. Scratching a paw against the glass, he meowed to be let out.

Janie paused to look up from her glow-box. She gave the black blob a tap with her finger and walked over to the door. With a loving pat on Trickster's head, she tugged the door open. Trickster shot out, a streak of orange against the brown deck-wood.

"Hey Trick!" the voice of Cocoa cried. "Trick! Up here!"

Trickster padded over to Cocoa's fence. "Hey, Coke," he meowed. "Seen Sweetheart anywhere?"

"Yeah," Cocoa replied, "her housefolk aren't letting her out today. Something about a show or something. I dunno."

Trickster nodded. Sweetheart's housefolk loved to show her off. She was a pedigree Somali. None of the others knew what that meant, but it must have been important. "Hey, listen, about yesterday..."

"Yeah. Sorry we were so hard on ya," Cocoa mewed. "It's just...when ya get fixed, it changes everything. I mean, ya start seeing the world in new ways. It's not bad or anything...but it's not something you would like." Cocoa jumped down from his fence to touch his nose to Trickster's. "Which is why Sweetheart and I decided to let ya go. We're older, ya know. We don't look it, but I'm going on nineteen moons, and Sweetheart's almost fourteen."

"You know, I always thought you two smelled older," Trickster murmured. "Well, if that's the case, I guess I'll be go—"

"Wait!" Cocoa meowed suddenly. The young tom stopped. "Wait, Trickster. I'm letting ya start a new life as a wildcat...but I'm not letting you leave without a proper goodbye. Promise me you'll come with me, ya know, go around the neighborhood. Let everyone know where you're going."

Trickster nodded. "Sure thing, Cocoa," he replied. Cocoa nodded, and the two toms set off on one last round of the neighborhood.

Their first stop was the house where Sweetheart lived. She wasn't there, but her lover beneath the porch said she wanted to tell Trickster she'd never forget him. Trickster nodded, noting the jealous look on the tomcat's face. He decided to hightail it out of there before the other cat decided to make it a catfight. He and Cocoa beat a hasty retreat.

"Wasn't that Soda?" Trickster asked when they were a few houses away. Cocoa nodded. "Wow...he's way too old for Sweetheart, isn't he?"

"There are some things in life that don't matter, Trick," Cocoa meowed, giving his shoulder a quick lick. "And one of those is age."

Trickster nodded and focused on the next house. He gave his sister, Queenie, a fond lick on the head, telling her he'd come back and visit soon. Queenie's three kits looked at their Uncle Tricky one last time from behind their mother's feathery tail.

Trickster padded along the familiar streets, knowing that he might very well never come this way ever again. And even if he did, he would be scrawny like Promisepaw had been, and marked with the scars of battle. He would be a completely different cat.

The day passed with such speed that Trickster could hardly believe how quickly time had passed. The ginger tom looked around in amazement. His surprise turned to fear: cold, sickening fear. The sky was red. It shouldn't be red. It should be blue. "Uh...Coke?" he mewed hesitantly. "Is it really sundown?"

Cocoa turned back to him, an almost sinister look in his brown eyes. "Yes, Trickster. It's sundown."

"Th-then...I have to get back! Back to my housefolk's nest! Promisepaw's going to think I don't want to join the Clan and..." He broke off as he realized he was lost. "Cocoa...where are we?"

"Ya see, Trickster," Cocoa meowed, "Sweetheart and I made a decision that we weren't gonna let ya leave. That's why we're here in the middle of nowhere. Now, promise to be a good housecat, and I'll lead ya back home. If ya don't drop this silly notion of living with the wildcats, I'll cripple ya here and now, and take ya home myself. You're not leaving, Trickster. Never."

Trickster was stunned. He had thought the tomcat was his friend. With a flash of realization, he knew that Cocoa _was_ his friend. He just wanted to be friends so badly that he was willing to go to extremes to keep his friendship close to home. "Coke...you're mad...crazy...insane! You need help!"

"No, Trick, _you _need the help. Ya've gotten a silly idea into your head that ya need to go into the wild and live with a bunch of starving, mangy, scrawny wildcats. What's wrong? Ya don't like your housefolk? We can always find ya some new ones, there's a family moving in across the way; I hear they're pretty nice." Cocoa was babbling now, desperate for anything to keep Trickster in the easy life of a kittypet.

Trickster saw this and snarled, crouching down like Promisepaw had done when Cocoa had attacked her. "I won't let you take my future away from me!" he snarled. "I'm going to the forest, even if I have to find Promisepaw's Clan myself!" He tackled Cocoa, spitting and yowling.

Cocoa was caught off-guard and struggled to free himself. Trickster let him escape, but not without a few warning scratches. Then he ran blindly, hoping that his instincts would guide him to his housefolk's nest. He could hear Cocoa's snarls and hisses as he fled. His heart sank. There was no other place for him to go now but the woods. _StarClan...where ever you are...I'm coming to live with your cats...Help me find them. Please!_

He skidded to a halt, panting and gasping for breath. Cocoa was out of sight and scent. Trickster leaned back against the fence. The young tomcat licked a paw and feebly brought it over his ear. "Ugh," he grunted. "I can't believe my luck. If you're really there, StarClan, and you really want me, help me out here!" He got to his paws and looked around, expecting to see some ghostly cat sent to answer his plea. Nothing but grassy lawns and housefolk nests. He sighed. "I said, _help me out, StarClan!_" he repeated, tail twitching impatiently.

Still there was no vision of a spiritual cat or guide of any sort. Trickster sighed. "Look, I'm sorry about everything I've ever done that was bad," he murmured with a glance up at the darkening sky. He padded along in a random direction. "I didn't believe in you guys then. If you didn't like me stealing Queenie's catnip mousie when we were kittens, I'm sorry. I'll give it back when I get home. If it's about that time I almost bit Soda's ear off, I'm sorry about that one, too! I didn't mean it!" His paws plodded along aimlessly as he ranted to the first few stars he could see. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm turning over a new leaf. From now on, I'll be a good cat. One worthy of joining one of your Clan things. I'll try my bes—" He stopped.

Right in front of him was his own fence. Trickster sniffed the boards. Yes, his scent was everywhere. He could recognize his nest. This was definitely his home. With a swift glance up at the sky, he meowed, "Thanks," and scrambled to the top of the fence.

Sitting on his old perch, the kittypet tom sighed. _It's too late. Promisepaw has gone back to her Clan...Now I'll never be able to help her. But she was...so beautiful...skinny, yes, but more 'slender' than 'skinny...' I think I love her. And now she's gone, and I'll never see her again. The only way I could do that is to go into the forest and try and track her scent._ He looked up at the sky again. Odd, he had never noticed that huge band of stars above his garden. There was something about it, now that he noticed it...

A wild scent reached his housecat nose. He sniffed again. It smelled of the bare reality of cold, deep space...and the freezing, driving, icy snow of winter...and something more...cat. But like no cat he had ever scented before. Most cats bore the generic cat-smell, along with their personal odor. But this smell did not speak of one individual cat...it smelled pure, natural...the true essence of cat. Trickster opened his mouth, drawing air over his scent glands on the roof of his mouth. The smell came back, and he leapt from the fence to follow it.

His nose led him to a quiet corner of the garden, one where he usually didn't venture. He saw something he had never noticed before. A hole in the fence. Curious, Trickster slipped through the opening, his body squeezing to fit through the narrow gap. He popped out on the other side of his fence. His eyes widened in awe as he gazed around reverently. He was in the forest now.

The space-ice-cat smell was stronger here now. Trickster broke into a run, his paws scattering twigs and moss as he pelted through the dark woods. He followed his nose through the forest, confident that this new scent would not lead him wrong. The kittypet tom halted, panting and gasping for breath. He wasn't used to running for so long, but something spurred him on. After a few seconds, he kept running, eager to see what was drawing him to strongly.

A streak of gingery gold he was, darting from shadow to shadow under the moon and the bright band of stars. Free, that's how it felt, free like nothing he had ever felt before. Trickster laughed loudly, throwing his head back in a triumphant caterwaul. He had done it! He was free of his Twoleg—not housefolk, Twoleg. He was going to be Trickpaw now, a loyal warrior of one of StarClan's own. What would his warrior name be? Who would teach him his warrior skills? Trickster ran, following the space-ice-cat scent. He was getting closer.

Trickster skidded to a halt, panting hard. He had found his way to a clearing in the woods. The star-band shone down on the clearing, turning everything to silver. Cat-scent was everywhere; traces of individual scents could be found, but they all blended together into one, unified smell. And, Trickster noted with relief, he could just barely make out Promisepaw's sweet smell. The former kittypet padded to the center of the hollow. A cat was waiting for him.

The cat's pelt shone brightly in the starlight. Their eyes were bright and spoke of the secrets of warrior cat Clans. Trickster sat down in front of the warrior, dipping his head respectfully. The space-ice-cat smell was coming from this warrior. "Are you...are you...a warrior of...of StarClan?" Trickster mewed quietly. The silver cat nodded.

"Welcome, Trickpaw," they meowed, in a voice that was filled with mystery and secret. "You have been chosen by StarClan to aid PromiseClan." The warrior stood up, touching their paw to their own muzzle, then to Trickpaw's. "May your nose be opened and tuned to the wild." They did the same motions with their ears and Trickpaw's. "May your ears be cleared and sensitive to the heartbeat of the wild." They touched their eyes, then Trickpaw's. "May your eyes be sharp and see the beauty of the wild." They placed their paws over Trickpaw's. "May your paws be strong and tireless, ever dancing to the music of the wild." They touched their head, then touched Trickpaw's. "May your mind be cunning and learn the ways of the wild." Finally, they laid a paw over their heart, and touched the paw to Trickpaw's chest. "And may your heart be loyal and true to the wild."

Trickpaw felt nothing at first, then a sudden rush of energy gripped his young body. Suddenly, he could smell everything. He knew how many toms and she-cats had walked across this stretch of ground in the past hour. He heard everything, the scratching of a cricket as it jumped from leaf to leaf on the forest floor. He could see far into the night, and could make out the shapes of so many things he had missed when he had first entered the camp. His paws surged with fierce energy, no longer tired and sore. He understood that these cats lived by a strict code, and he knew every detail of it. And his heart jumped. He felt the urge to defend every cat he saw here, and even those he didn't see.

"I hail you by your new name, Trickpaw," the StarClan warrior continued. "You have shown yourself willing to leave your comfortable life behind and join the true life of the wild. Trickpaw! Trickpaw!"

Trickpaw spun around as he heard the voices of other cats chant, "Trickpaw! Trickpaw!" Every time a new voice was heard, a new cat appeared in the clearing, which was soon full of the cats of StarClan. The first warrior touched his nose to Trickpaw's. "Now, young Trickpaw, you are an apprentice warrior of PromiseClan. Remember that a true warrior knows when to go against the rules and go with his heart." He stood and flicked his tail, and the rest of StarClan vanished, leaving only a trace of their eerie scent behind. The warrior remained for a few minutes longer, just long enough to take Trickpaw's collar in his mouth and snap it. Then he too vanished.

Trickpaw was awed. He had been given an apprentice name by StarClan themselves. Not only that, but they had sharpened his dull kittypet senses and replaced them with the razor-keen ones of a wildcat. His pulse roared in his ears with excitement. He was part of PromiseClan now.


	7. Chapter 5

Shadowpaw yawned and stretched, sitting up in her nest. The former SwampClan apprentice scratched idly behind her head as she blinked sleep from her eyes. A bird was chirping loudly in the bushes close by, the high notes jarring her ears. Sighing softly, the near-black cat recalled SwampClan territory.

When she closed her eyes, Shadowpaw could see Rockplace, with its tall stones that apprentices always dared each other to climb to the top of. She could feel the tug of the infamous Sucking Marshes on her paws, and relive the time she and an apprentice called Sixpaw had played in the mud nearly all day, coming back to camp dark and dirty. There were few trees, and few chirpy birds. The main danger was hawks, but even then, you could handle yourself if there was a warrior nearby who knew what they were doing.

SwampClan territory had also been a bit more...shady. Yes, there was never really any bright sunlight there. But Shadowpaw had been forced to leave her beloved Clan lands by an evil warrior call Thornheart. She had heard gossip that Bugwing, a dead cat, had been reborn as Breezepaw, and together with Sixpaw...Sixclaw...he had driven out Thornheart. But it was unlikely. No warriors were reborn into Clans. Once you joined StarClan, you stayed there...Right?

Shadowpaw padded out of the den, her ears pricking up as she heard murmurs of "kittypet" and "StarClan." _Didn't Promisepaw say something about a dream with a kittypet from StarClan in it?_ the young cat wondered. _She did! And he gave her a prophecy from StarClan! What was it, though...Something about Hope and Shadows...Fire and Water...saving a Promise...The Promised Clan! That's what it was. _She stopped dead. _Wait. I'm dark-pelted...and my name is **Shadow**paw...Could I be the Shadows in the prophecy?_

The dark she-cat sat down beside the other apprentices: Wavepaw, Sunpaw, Bearpaw, Greatpaw, and Summerpaw. Wavepaw tapped her with his tail in greeting. Sunpaw mewed a friendly hello. But Promisepaw's siblings were deep in discussion. Shadowpaw ignored them.

Riverstar was atop Tallrock, Sunface beside her, along with Promisepaw, and an unfamiliar ginger tom. Shadowpaw gazed intently up at her leader. "Cats of PromiseClan," Riverstar began, "I am sure you have all heard of our newest addition. His name is Trickpaw, and he comes from Twolegplace."

"Is he a kittypet?" a warrior by the name of Pyrefoot asked. "He certainly looks like one to me. Not to go against your judgement, Riverstar, but do you really think he's fit for Clan life?"

"Kittypets have collars, though," a she-cat called Owlfur spoke up. "And his name is Trickpaw. Pyrefoot, I know you've been a Clan cat for many moons, but there are some things only Clanborn cats know. And one of those is that kittypets always wear collars. He's probably a rogue."

"A rogue in PromiseClan?" Fishtail asked.

Hexmind looked over at him. "My family were rogues," she pointed out mildly. "Myself, Wovenpelt, Pyrefoot, and Sparkfur. If he is a rogue, he won't be the only one in this Clan." Fishtail dipped his head and sat back down.

"I admit, it may not be a popular decision, but I have decided to test Trickpaw," Riverstar continued. "Kittypets do not have warrior skills, such as fighting and hunting. If Trickpaw can do these things, I will take him into PromiseClan."

Shadowpaw stood up and padded over to the Tallrock. She looked up at Trickpaw, who stared back down at her. She sniffed the air. "He smells a bit like Twolegs," she mewed softly. "But he isn't soft and fat like a kittypet. And anyways, he still smells like a tom,. So he hasn't been taken to the Cutter yet." With a leap, Shadowpaw was on top the Tallrock. She put her tail in front of Trickpaw's nose. "Tell me what territory I came from."

The rogue/kittypet obediently sniffed. He hesitated for a few minutes, then meowed, "It's faint, but I can smell wet places...marshes and swamps...But now you smell mostly of forests."

Shadowpaw nodded. "Good." Turning to Riverstar, she mewed, "He's likely a rogue since he has a Clan name." Without another word, she jumped down and sat back with the apprentices.

"Thank you for your input, Shadowpaw," Riverstar said, clearly a little taken aback by the bold move by the normally shy apprentice. "I agree." With a gaze at the crowd, she added, "I will mentor Trickpaw myself, and make sure he accepts the belief of the Clan, as well as its traditions."

Riverstar turned her head and touched her nose to Trickpaw's. The ginger tom dipped his head respectfully to his new mentor. Trickpaw jumped down from the Tallrock. But instead of the usual meows and greetings that were associated with a new apprentice being named, there was only silence. No cat wanted to be the first to welcome this rogue/kittypet/Clan apprentice. Trickpaw's eyes grew wide with despair.

Promisepaw stepped forward, touched her nose to his, and mewed, "Hey, Trickpaw!"

"Trickpaw, how's it going?" Bearpaw asked, padding over to the new apprentice.

Shadowpaw padded up with the rest of the apprentices, all of whom were making up for what the warriors refused to do. They greeted Trickpaw numerous times, differently with each meow.

"Great name, Trickpaw!" Summerpaw mewed.

"Hey, you're one lucky cat to have Riverstar mentor you, Trickpaw," Greatpaw added.

"Welcome to PromiseClan, Trickpaw!

"All right, Trickpaw!"

"Trickpaw, do you want me to show you where you can sleep tonight?"

"Hi, Trickpaw!"

Shadowpaw, not one for saying much, merely pressed her nose into his fur. She meant to nuzzle him, but she went about it wrong, and came out of the encounter with a secret...a secret that no other cat could know. There was the definite scent of Twolegs on the new apprentice's fur. He had let them touch him, play with him, and even lived in their nests. Trickpaw wasn't a rogue.

He was a kittypet!

After the apprentices were finished, the warriors were still uneasily silent. Still, none dared to be the first warrior to say Trickpaw's name and acknowledge him as an apprentice warrior of PromiseClan. Riverstar's tail bristled uneasily, and her eyes were full of fear. Shadowpaw understood her anxiety. If the Clan as a whole would not welcome an apprentice, then the apprentice was not welcome. She would have to drive Trickpaw out, but he was her apprentice now. According to the warrior code, a mentor could not put their apprentice knowingly into danger. Riverstar had trapped herself in a loophole of warrior decrees.

Shadowpaw gave Trickpaw another nuzzle, this time on his cheek. The tom licked behind her ear, whispering, "Thanks. You guys are the best."

Summerpaw's ear twitched. "Don't mention it," she murmured. "You're an apprentice now, and we have to look out for each other."

Trickpaw purred happily. Shadowpaw shifted her attention to the crowd of warriors, who were silently watching the apprentices. She spotted Riverstar's former apprentice, Riverpelt, nudge both her brothers and step out of the group. "Yo, Trickpaw! Any reason for the name?" she asked. "Are you a tricky little thing?" There was a good-natured glint in her eyes.

As if she had given some silent cue, the rest of the warriors started to chant Trickpaw's name and meow welcomes to him. The ginger tom purred, a little uneasily. Their pawsteps were slow as they padded over to him, almost like they were being sucked down by boggy ground. After they had finished, Summerpaw flicked her tail, and the apprentices gathered around the newest addition to lead him to the den.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Shadowpaw sat in her nest, gazing intently at Trickpaw's sleeping form. Her amber eyes glinted eerily in the darkness of the den. She willed the newest PromiseClan apprentice to feel her stare prickling the back of his neck. She had done it before, she would do it again. _Come on, Trickpaw..._

It was then that Shadowpaw noticed a catch in Trickpaw's breathing. There was a lapse in the gentle rhythm; he breathed in one short gasp, then a long slow rush. He had woken up, but was feigning sleep. Most other apprentices would have given up, but SwampClan trained their own to be fiercely persistent. Shadowpaw gritted her fangs and kept up her stare, doubling the fire in her eyes. _"Trickpaw!" _she hissed.

The ginger tomcat gave a fake start and rolled over onto his side. His blue eyes glinted in the low light. "Promise...Summer...No, Shadow. Shadowpaw?" he mewed softly. Shadowpaw padded over and sat beside him, her thin gray tail wrapped around her paws.

"Yes. I am Shadowpaw. Trickpaw, I need to speak with you." The tom started to close his eyes sleepily, but Shadowpaw could see the glint of alertness behind the mask of haze. "Oh, don't even try to put that foxdung past me," she growled. "You've been awake for a few minutes now." Trickpaw sat bolt upright, looking incredibly surprised. "Listen, Trickpaw, I know you're not who you say you are. The stench of Twolegs is too strong on your pelt for you to just live near them. You were a kittypet, I know you were!"

Trickpaw's eyes filled with fear. Shadowpaw kept her gaze neutral. The young tom stuttered softly for a few seconds, then squeaked, "M...my name is Trickpaw. It was given to me by StarClan. I swear!"

"What was your name before that?"

"Tr...Trickster..."

Shadowpaw nodded. "Tell me everything."

"Promisepaw and I both had a dream. In hers, I appeared with a prophecy. In mine, she came out of the forest behind my Twoleg's gardens and told me that StarClan had chosen me." Trickpaw turned his blue gaze upwards, as if he were asking StarClan for strength. "She was going to come by my garden that evening and lead me here, but a kittypet friend of mine took me around the neighborhood and got me lost. StarClan guided me here..."

Shadowpaw's whiskers gave a disbelieving twitch. StarClan wouldn't guide a kittypet anywhere. It must have been sheer dumb luck that he found the PromiseClan camp. With a soft sigh, she shrugged and returned to her nest.

"Um...Shadowpaw? Why doesn't Promisepaw sleep here? She is an apprentice, isn't she?"

"Promisepaw is the medicine cat apprentice," Shadowpaw replied, rolling over to face away from Trickpaw. "She sleeps in the medicine cat's den, which, for your reference, is just across the camp, in that old hollow tree. You can visit her tomorrow or something."

"She's very beautiful," Trickpaw mewed.

"You won't be allowed to have kits with her, even when you're both warriors."

"Why not?"

"Because a medicine cat's love must go to our warrior ancestors first. Kits would only incapacitate her healing abilities. Find yourself another she-cat, Trickster."

"It's Trick_paw_, Shadowpaw."

"Not on your life, kittypet."

Shadowpaw heard a soft sigh from Trickpaw as he lay back down. She didn't care if her words had been harsh. It wasn't such a big deal if a rogue decided to join a Clan, but...a kittypet? That was like declaring that PlagueClan was full of cat-saints. The dark she-cat gave her whiskers a light touch with her tongue to smooth them out.

A kittypet in PromiseClan, and Shadowpaw was the only one who knew aside from Promisepaw. The former SwampClan cat rolled onto her back and batted lazily at the den roof. _StarClan...did you really send us this kittypet? Can Trickster really fit in with us?_ With a sigh, Shadowpaw rolled back onto her side and fell asleep once more.


	8. Chapter 6

"Again, Sunpaw!" Dogbark commanded. "You almost got me that time! Come on, you stalk like a blind badger!"

Sunpaw smirked at his mentor's playful insults. The gingery tomcat prowled closer to Dogbark, keeping his intense gaze centered on her. Dogbark's brown gaze locked with his, and she gave a taunting hiss. Sunpaw leapt. Dogbark caught him with her shoulder and tossed him to the ground. She crouched overtop of him, grinning. "You're getting better," she rasped.

"Thanks, Dogbark," Sunpaw mewed. "Any tips for me?"

"Do you really want my advice?"

"Dogbark!" whined Sunpaw.

"All right, all right." The brown she-cat let out a rusty purr. As a kit, Dogbark had contracted a virus that had made her voice scratchy and throaty. It did not make her meow very attractive, but she was still a beautiful queen with sleek fur and lively eyes. "Listen, you're a strong little tom. But you keep trying to overpower me. I'm too big for that to work, Sunpaw. Out-think me, not out-muscle me!"

Sunpaw scrambled to a sitting position to think. What could he possibly do to beat Dogbark? His ice-blue eyes were shadowed with thought. Dogbark crouched down in front of him to wait. _She's right...She is too big for me to tackle on my own. There has to be some way that I can distract her...Yeah! I'll draw her attention away from me and when she's not looking, I'll jump in! Yeah! Awesome!_

The ginger tom started to stalk towards his mentor. Halfway to her, he stopped and pricked up his ears. He stiffened his whiskers. "Dogbark...I can smell something," she whispered. "It's right behind you..."

"Like I'll fall for that," was the reply he got. "Come on, Sunpaw, let's get a move on. We haven't got all day to train."

"HAWK!" Sunpaw yowled, cowering down against the ground. Dogbark gave the sky a worried glance. When she realized she'd been had, her tone changed to that of an annoyed queen to her kit.

"Sunpaw, you do real—MROW!" Dogbark broke off in a sudden yowl of surprise as Sunpaw tackled her to the ground.

"How's that?" he asked. Dogbark shook her apprentice off, purring and speaking intermittently.

"Y...you lit...little...hair...hairball!"

"Gotcha, Dogbark," Sunpaw mewed teasingly. Dogbark took a slow, deep breath. She sighed, though not unhappily.

"Yes," she rasped. "Yes you did. But I hope you understand that that's not going to work against an enemy warrior."

"What enemy warrior?" Sunpaw asked. "Dogbark, it's been moons since we've even scented a rogue! We're the only cats out here. There's no enemy warriors to worry about."

"Perhaps not at the moment. But there may come a day when new cats will try and throw us out of here. Maybe we'll know these cats. Maybe we'll have had something to do with them, from nine lives ago." The brown queen shrugged. "I don't know. That's enough training for today, Sunpaw. Let's head back to camp. I'm beat."

Sunpaw yawned. It was sunhigh. They had been training since sunup in the grassy field that bordered PromiseClan territory. Sunpaw liked the field. It reminded him of MeadowClan territory. The golden tabby tom padded behind his mentor, glad for the chance to think by himself for a while.

_This new cat, Trickpaw...What's up with him, I wonder? He's only been here a week, and already, he's made his alliances clear. He's petrified of Shadowpaw and spends all his spare time with Promisepaw. I wonder if he knows they can't be mates. Well, he'd better stay far away from Summerpaw. She's my best friend. There's no way he'd be mates with her._ He shook his head firmly. _Look at me, already thinking about fathering kits! Well, whatever it is, I hope he gets over it soon. Shadowpaw's okay and all, but it's not like she'd hurt him._

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

"Everything okay, Sunpaw?" asked Summerpaw. Sunpaw shrugged and lay beside her.

"I guess. I mean, I'm worried about Trickpaw..."

"Me too," Summerpaw mewed. "I mean, he hardly speaks to any cat but Promisepaw. And Shadowpaw seems to hate him. Have you noticed the way she bristles whenever he comes within a half-tail-length of her?"

Sunpaw nodded and took a bite of his mouse. "I know what you mean," he mumbled with his mouth full. Swallowing, he added, "It's like she knows something about him, and he doesn't want her to tell any cat about it."

"Maybe that's what it is," the golden she-cat mused. "But what, I wonder? What could Shadowpaw possibly know about Trickpaw that none of us know?"

"Maybe he wasn't a rogue. Maybe he was really a kittypet."

Summerpaw dropped down from her stiff, upright position, and curled up on the ground beside Sunpaw. She licked his ears tenderly. Sunpaw gave a soft purr. It was nice to just sit out and watch night fall over the camp, especially if you had a friend beside you. Just then, Trickpaw padded up to the two others, holding a finch in his mouth. He dropped it down and rolled over onto his side.

"Hey, Trickpaw," Summerpaw mewed in a friendly voice. Trickpaw nodded to her. "Something wrong?"

"Shadowpaw been after you, has she?"

Trickpaw gave Sunpaw a sharp glare for the last remark. The good-natured golden-striped cat ignored the fiery stare and took another bite of mouse. Trickpaw sighed. "I dunno. It's just...Riverstar works me really hard. It's like nothing I've ever done before."

"Well, that's the point of apprentice training," Summerpaw reminded him. "It's supposed to be rough to toughen you up, and prepare you for the day when you have to face a much stronger cat than yourself and come out on top."

Trickpaw gave a wry grin. "I guess...So, Sunpaw, how'd your training go?"

"Oh, the usual. Dogbark's hard to fight. I mean, really hard. And she's more mysterious than StarClan themselves. She won't give you straight advice."

"What did you do today, Summerpaw?" Trickpaw asked.

"Me? Oh, Blazetail and I went on the dawn patrol with Wavepaw, Owlfur, and Quartzfur."

"Tell me more!" Trickpaw mewed. "Never been on a patrol before."

"You have to have been an apprentice for a moon to go on a patrol," Sunpaw explained. "Just you wait. Soon it'll be time for your first patrol, Trickpaw."

"He's right. Well, anyways, we picked up a rogue scent trail. I was the one who found it." Summerpaw closed her eyes, practically glowing with pleasure.

"Rogues?" Sunpaw demanded, leaping to his paws. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah. Quartzfur says he'll have to report it to Riverstar, so just be prepared for the announcement tonight." Summerpaw scooped a hole to bury the bones of her prey as well as Sunpaw and Trickpaw's. "But aside from that, it went well. I got to eat on patrol, too. Quartzfur said it was okay, because I had worked for the good of the Clan and earned the right to eat."

"What else?" Sunpaw asked, still a little edgy from the news of rogues. His fur tingled, and he only half-heard Summerpaw tell about what she saw. _Didn't Dogbark tell me I had to prepare for the day when I would have to face enemy warriors? But what rogues could possibly try to take on PromiseClan? No Clan back home was ever this huge! We're a super-Clan!_

"A little cold, there, Sunpaw?" Trickpaw asked innocently, for the golden-ginger tom had just shuddered deeply, his body rippling like prairiegrass in the breeze.

"Well, it's almost leaf-fall," Sunpaw admitted. "I guess my fur's just not thick enough yet."

Trickpaw nodded, but Summerpaw seemed deeply troubled. Genuine concern flashed in her eyes. Sunpaw shrugged it off. He felt uncomfortable around this new cat. There was something distinctly different about Trickpaw...something that made Sunpaw uneasy. "I'm kinda tired," he lied. "Think I'll lie down for a while..." He padded into the apprentice den. Shadowpaw was there, sitting up in her nest and gazing at Trickpaw.

"Sunpaw," she mewed, dipping her head to the young tomcat. Sunpaw returned the nod and curled up in his own nest. He sighed, rolling around to get comfortable. He still couldn't shake that bad feeling about the rogues. _The elders tell the tale of how this camp used to belong to a group of murderous rogues...Could they somehow have come back to drive us out? But Longfang always tells us they've been disbanded, and how they're nothing without Bone Marrow, the cat Riverstar killed back when she was still just a warrior._

Sunpaw gave a low moan and buried his head in his front paws. _This isn't right...This can't be right...Those days are over...PromiseClan is secure...Aren't we?_ A paw prodded his side gently. "Everything okay?" Shadowpaw asked. "You sound like you're about to be ill."

"I'm...I guess I'm okay," Sunpaw muttered, not looking up at the dark she-cat. "I mean, nothing makes sense right now...What is the future going to be like for us?" He gazed up into Shadowpaw's amber eyes. "Are we in danger?"

Shadowpaw shrugged. "I don't know, Sunpaw," she meowed. "Everything's so confusing to me, too. I mean, this prophecy...Trickpaw...I'm about ready to make an emergency trip to Highstones and speak to StarClan myself."

Sunpaw sat up. "Maybe not Highstones," he murmured. "Shadowpaw! Come on, we're going to the elders den!"

Shadowpaw shrugged a second time and followed behind Sunpaw. The golden-ginger tom skidded to a halt in front of the mossy cave where the elders, Longfang and Mudslide, slept. He could see the unmatched eyes of the former glinting out at him. "Shunpaw? Ish that you?"

"Yes...It's me, Longfang."

"Shadowpaw too?"

"Yes. We need to ask you something." Sunpaw entered the den and sat beside the old, black tom.

"What'sh that?"

"Remember that old story you tell all the kits? The one about that Clan of evil cats led by Bone Marrow?"

Longfang nodded. "Yesh. Why? Would you like to hear it again? Mentorsh quishing you on PromisheClan hishtory?"

"Well...actually..."

Shadowpaw stepped forward, an unusually bold move for her. Her tail waved like a stalk of wheat in the wind. "Longfang, is there any way that Bone Marrow's blood survives in the forest?" she asked. Longfang blinked slowly. At length, the old tom replied:

"Yesh...I think sho."

"Do you know anything else?" Sunpaw asked. "Maybe the cat's name?"

"I don't...but I think Mudshlide may."

"May what?" Mudslide muttered groggily.

"Didn't Bone Marrow have a kit?" Longfang asked the sleepy elder. Mudslide nodded.

"Yes. But only one. Rumor is that she killed the others because they reminded her of her mate," Mudslide meowed. "Not claiming to have seen the cat, but I believe her name was Ocarina."

"Ocarina?" Sunpaw and Shadowpaw echoed in unison. Mudslide nodded.

"They say she's as cruel as her mother, with the same love of murder and evil. They say that the sun refuses to shine on her. They say she's coming back with the remaining band of the AoDs."

There was silence in which the two apprentices were overcome with a severe case of the willies. They sat shivering in the shadow of the elders den. Finally, Sunpaw spoke. "D'you...d'you think they know where we are?" he whispered.

"It'sh more than likely that they do. But the main thing to remember ish that even if they come to try and kill ush all, we are PromisheClan, and we'll never fall to them." Longfang gave a yawn. "After all, how many Aodsh could there be?"

Sunpaw nodded to Shadowpaw and the two left the den quietly. Once outside, Sunpaw turned to the other apprentice. "D'you think it's all real?" he asked softly, his eyes wide. "D'you think there really is a cat out there who wants to take PromiseClan down?"

"Time will tell, Sunpaw," Shadowpaw mewed as she padded away. "Time will tell."

Another shiver passed down Sunpaw's spine. Something was wrong...deeply wrong. And whatever it was, Sunpaw had a very, very bad feeling about it. The ginger tom slipped back to the apprentices den and curled up in his nest. He lay in the den, listening to the sounds of sleeping apprentices around him. The sky was dark, but there was no sleeping for him tonight. And the shifting noises and grunts from the direction of Shadowpaw's nest told him the dark gray she-cat felt the same.

_I can't help wondering...Promisepaw's prophecy...Hope and Shadows...Fire and Water...Call me crazy, but I think something's starting to make sense...The sun is the flaming mane of LionClan...and I'm **Sun**paw...Maybe...could I be...the Fire?_


	9. Chapter 7

Wavepaw padded up behind his mentor, Owlfur. The mottled brown queen gave him a gentle nuzzle. "It's all right to be wary, you know," she murmured. Wavepaw scoffed.

"Me? Wary? Hah! That's something to purr about, Owlfur," he meowed in what he thought to be a brave-sounding voice. "I'll have you know that when I was a kit back in LakeClan that I would swim around Midnightsky Lake on the night of the new moon!"

"I'm so sorry to have doubted you, O Brave One," Owlfur mewed, barely containing a purr of amusement at her apprentice's strut. She kicked a branch with a hind paw, causing it to rustle ominously. Wavepaw gave a mewl of fear and cowered under her belly.

"Hey, you two!" the voice of Sunface hissed. "Knock it off, whatever you're doing. I know moonhigh patrol is no fun, but it has to be done!"

Wavepaw felt his fur grow hot with shame. The silvery tom slipped out from underneath Owlfur's belly. He gazed up at the swatches of starry sky between the trees' branches. The air had the distinct chill of pre-leaf-fall, and a fine mist was starting to settle around the forest. It beaded up on Wavepaw's long fur, but did not soak through. _One of the advantages of being from LakeClan: you don't get wet like other cats do!_ he thought smugly.

"Sunface, is there anywhere in particular we're going?" Owlfur asked. The warrior called Birdflight nodded her curiosity. Sunface turned to face the moonhigh patrol.

"I think there's something you should know. You all heard Riverstar talk about how rogues were scented around our territory?" Every cat nodded their heads. Sunface took a deep breath. Wavepaw could see the anxiety in his light eyes. "Riverstar believes we may know these rogues. Don't tell any cat, but she thinks the AoDs may be returning."

Wavepaw laughed, causing every other cat to startle and look at him. "Aw, come on, Sunface," he mewed. "We all know that they're gone. Just ask Longfang for the story. They're never gonna come back."

Owlfur nipped her apprentice's ear angrily. Birdflight looked about ready to claw her way up a tree and hide. Sunface stood, emanating waves of pure rage and anger. Wavepaw gave a soft mew of "Oh." The long-haired tom took a nervous step backwards. Uh-oh. Trying to soothe his Clanmates' fears: plus four points. Disrespect to the Clan deputy in the process: minus eight points. Remaining points: ...negative four. Not good.

"Wavepaw..."

Wavepaw's tail gave an embarrassed quirk. "Y-yes, Sunface?"

"You're on thin ice, young warrior. Thin ice." Sunface turned back to the path ahead. "Remember that, will you?"

Wavepaw's whiskers did a little twitch and another tide of shame crashed over his young body. All right, so maybe humor wasn't the best thing for this situation. How was he supposed to know that? He pranced forward to walk beside Owlfur. The mottled she-cat shook her head disapprovingly. "I can't believe some of the things you do, Wavepaw," she murmured. "You're lucky Sunface is so forgiving."

"Yeah, yeah," Wavepaw muttered, gazing up at the stars as he padded along. He paused in his steps, then continued to walk, this time more gracefully, with lithe waves of motion. It made the stars dance, and reminded him of home...back to the night...with...Snailpaw and Ripplepaw...watching the stars on the surface of Midnightsky Lake...and dropping rocks in...the stars of Silverpelt swirling around...the vow to remain friends forever...then leaf-bare...greencough...watching them both spiral down...two fresh graves by the LakeClan camp...Whitebelly...Icewind...running in the night...Snailpaw...Ripplepaw...gone...like stars on the water...

Wavepaw dropped back, his tail and head held low. No cat knew of his broken heart...how he felt so terrible for losing both of his best friends...He covered himself well, with random jokes and hyperactive behavior. But really...he was empty inside...

"Wavepaw...you're going to get left behind," Birdflight called. "Hurry up, you silver hairball!" Wavepaw lifted his head with a jolt and pounded the ground to catch up. He shook his head firmly. LakeClan was history. PromiseClan was his Clan now.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Wavepaw slipped into the den, shaking the cold beads of dew from his fur. Bearpaw groaned softly, covering his head with his paws as he rolled away from the moisture. The silver apprentice wove silently between his Clanmates to get to his nest on the far side of the den, right next to the stone wall. As he curled up, he gave the lonely bunch of moss beside him a sniff. Ashfire had been next to him when he had been an apprentice. The two tomcats were close buddies, but now there was a gap between them: the gap of warrior and apprentice.

_I miss Ashfire sleeping here. He was always so fun to be with...All those night we spent telling jokes...And then Bearpaw and Nightpaw told us to stop gossiping like she-cats...That was fun. I can't wait until I'm a warrior. Oh, the other warriors better watch out when Ashfire and I share a den. Wonder what I'll be. Maybe Wavepelt or Wavetail...Wavefire doesn't sound like a good name, though. Maybe not that. But Ashfire's a great warrior name. I'm totally jealous._

Just then, Summerpaw rolled over in her sleep and batted Wavepaw directly on the nose. "Take that, ya evil rogue," she muttered sleepily. Her eyes were still shut. Summerpaw was sleep-talking yet again. Wavepaw rolled his green eyes.

"I'll get you next time, you fox-hearted dog!" the silver tom growled dramatically. Summerpaw opened one eye, which was still glassy. Hoo boy. Now she was going to start_ sleepwalking._

"Your mother was a hound and your father was a badger, rogue," she grumbled, heaving herself to her paws. Her eyes were glazed over, and her head lolled limply.

"Oh. I'm wounded." The young he-cat rolled his eyes. "Bearpaw! Greatpaw! Summerpaw's at it again!" hissed Wavepaw.

"Not my turn," Bearpaw's muffled voice meowed.

"'S Shadowpaw's turn, I think..."

"She's _your_ sister, not mine!" Wavepaw groaned as Summerpaw started to stagger out of the den. "Shadowpaw, I suggest you hop to it. Remember the last time? She got into the nursery and almost attacked Icewind?"

Shadowpaw grunted. "Trickpaw should learn these things," she replied drowsily.

"Fine. Trickpaw! Wake Summerpaw up, will you? She's a somnambulist."

"Let Seedgrowth take care of it..."

Wavepaw groaned. "You know what? You guys are just lazy! _I'll_ do it!"

"Three cheers for Wavepaw," Greatpaw muttered. "Hip-hip..."

Instead of "hooray," there was only a murmur of sleepy apprentices as they tried to forget the sleepwalking cat in their midst. Wavepaw grumbled "Why didn't I just roll over?" under his breath and started after Summerpaw, who had made it out of the den while the other apprentices were holding their mumbled debate.

He followed the stumbling she-cat out across the camp. _Where in the name of holy StarClan is this cat going?_ Wavepaw glanced from Summerpaw's half-open eyes to follow her intended course. He flinched inwardly. Of course. Where else would Summerpaw go but Riverstar's den? "Summerpaw! It's Wavepaw! Stop!" Summerpaw plodded along in a steady course. Wavepaw tried again. "When I say 'StarClan,' you will sit down. StarClan!"

Summerpaw stopped dead and plopped down where she had previously stood. She gazed ahead with dull eyes and a limp neck. Wavepaw heaved a sigh of relief. "When I say 'StarClan,' you will walk back to the den. StarClan!" Summerpaw pushed herself up and staggered clumsily to the warriors den. "Ack! No! When I say 'StarClan,' you will walk back to the _apprentices_ den! StarClan!" Summerpaw turned on her heel and padded slowly towards the apprentice den. Wavepaw sighed again and braced his shoulder against the she-cat's.

He led her back to her nest. "When I say 'StarClan,' you will lie down and go back to sleep, not waking up until someone says 'StarClan' to you a second time. StarClan!" Summerpaw flopped down and started to snore softly. Wavepaw looked around the den. "Don't overdo the thank-you's," he muttered darkly.

"We won't," Greatpaw mewed, a yawn edging her voice. Wavepaw snorted.

"I was being sarcastic."

"Good for you."

"Greatpaw, are you even listening to what I'm saying?"

"Yeah...But don't worry, Wavepaw...I'm sure there's enough fresh-kill for all of us."

"Let me rephrase that. Greatpaw, are you even listening to what _you're_ saying?"

There was a few seconds of delay. "I've been talking, have I?"

"Yes. Yes, you have been." Wavepaw wasn't sure of what to make of the situation at paw. Summerpaw was asleep, and would remain that way until someone said "StarClan." Greatpaw was holding a somewhat coherent conversation—_in her sleep,_ Wavepaw realized with a flash of insight. All he needed now was for Bearpaw to jump up and start imitating other cats, something he did sometimes when he was not quite asleep. _The whole family's insane, I'll bet._

Well, he wasn't getting back to sleep tonight. Which wasn't all bad; Sunface didn't force apprentices who had gone out on moonhigh patrols to train the next day. Wide awake, the young tom padded out of the den to sit in the middle of the camp.

A warrior called Racefoot joined him. "Can't sleep?" he asked, his voice as cheery as always. Wavepaw shrugged.

"Summerpaw," he replied.

"Ah. She's at it again? I thought Seedgrowth gave her some herbs for that."

"Really? Promisepaw said it's something she'll grow out of and they can't cure it. Like you."

Racefoot laughed, winking at Wavepaw. "I've always been like this. My DuskClan mother, Froststare, always told the tale of how my brothers and sisters would all squirm and mew during the day while I slept. Then, in the dead of night, she'd wake up to me doing the exact same thing they had. I've always had it, and I'll never grow out of it." He sighed, not unhappily, and gazed upwards. "Insomnia, that's what it's called."

"So you're an insomniac and Summerpaw is a somnambulist. PromiseClan is not your average Clan, is it, Racefoot?"

"Not in the least, Wavepaw, not in the least. But that's what makes us important. We're not like the other Clans. All of our cats come from different birth-Clans, and we don't always get along as a result." Racefoot placed his black and white tail over Wavepaw's. "But the thing to remember is that we are special in StarClan's eyes. We are the Promised Clan."

Wavepaw gave a slight shiver. _The Promised Clan! That's what Promisepaw's prophecy said! Hope, Shadows, Fire, and Water will come together and save the Promised Clan! But who are all the other parts of it: Hope, Shadow, Fire, and Water? Maybe..since I'm from LakeClan...maybe...**I'm** the Water! But what's everything else? _With a thankful purr to Racefoot, he mewed, "I think I'll head back to the den. Maybe I'll be able to sleep." Racefoot nodded and padded off in the other direction, likely to hunt with Birdflight.

The silver tom pranced around the sleeping bodies of his fellow apprentice warriors and settled down in his own nest. With a deep sigh, Wavepaw laid his head on his paws._ I wonder what's going to happen tomorrow..._


	10. Chapter 8

"Hey Promisepaw, I've been thinking a lot about your prophecy," Shadowpaw meowed.

"Me too," Sunpaw mewed. The other two looked to Wavepaw as if expecting him to add his voice to the conversation. The silver cat shrugged.

"Yeah, same here, and I think I found something out."

Promisepaw looked from apprentice to apprentice, her eyes growing wide with excitement. Her tail rose up in the air, doing a pleased curve at the end. "Really?" she breathed. "What did you guys find out? Do you know what StarClan wants?"

"What's everyone meowing about?" asked Trickpaw as he shook himself awake.

"I had a dream from StarClan a few weeks ago," Promisepaw explained. "They said _Hope, Shadows, Fire, and Water will come together to save the Promised Clan._" Turning back to her apprentice friends, she asked, "Well? What is it? Tell me before I faint!"

"My name is _Shadow_paw."

"And the sun is the burning mane of LionClan."

"I came from LakeClan."

Shadowpaw touched her nose to Promisepaw's. "I am the Shadow in the prophecy."

Sunpaw nodded. "I'm the Fire."

"I'm Water," Wavepaw put in. "But who's the Hope, I wonder?"

"I am."

Every apprentice turned to Promisepaw. Her amber eyes glowed happily. "Don't you see? My name is _Promise_paw. A _Promise_ is a _Hope_ for the future."

"But what's the danger we're saving the Clan from?" Trickpaw mused. Shadowpaw scoffed.

"You're not coming with us," she mewed tartly. "Are you mentioned in the prophecy? Well? Are you?" She pushed her muzzle into his face. "No. I didn't think so. Unless you're the danger we're protecting the Clan from."

"Back off, Shadowpaw," growled Sunpaw angrily. "What did Trickpaw ever do to you? He's the newest apprentice. He deserves a little more care and a little less venom."

Shadowpaw dropped back a step. Promisepaw saw an emotion flicker in her eyes that looked faintly like disbelief. The white she-cat pushed herself between the arguing apprentices. "You back off, Sunpaw," she ordered. "Remember, Shadowpaw is allowed to be a little mistrusting of Trickpaw. He was a rogue, after all. As long as they don't hurt each other, I say it's all right to let them talk it out."

"But, er, Shadowpaw didn't look like she wanted to talk it out," Wavepaw muttered, his whiskers dancing nervously. "She looked like she's rather have a catfight over it."

"Shut it, Wavepaw," Shadowpaw snarled. Promisepaw felt anxiety flare up in her belly. What would StarClan think if their chosen cats started bickering like old she-cats? Sunpaw stepped in, his hackles raised.

"All right, this is getting us nowhere! Shadowpaw, over there. Trickpaw, there. Wavepaw—"

"I wasn't doing anything!"

"—over there. Stay in your little corner until you're ready to talk this over like the fledgling warriors you are." Surprisingly, the tense cats obeyed. Sunpaw heaved a soft sigh.

"Thanks, Sunpaw," Promisepaw whispered. The golden cat winked one of his icy eyes.

"Sure thing. I've been thinking, Promisepaw...Why would StarClan choose apprentices and not warriors to carry out their will?"

"Why would they send a prophecy to the medicine cat apprentice?" Promisepaw gave a little pause, then added, "And why would they send it through a kittypet? Sunpaw, perhaps you should know something...Trickpaw isn't a rogue..."

"He's a kittypet."

"You knew?" Promisepaw was stunned.

"Shadowpaw knew. She told me last night."

"He was...the kittypet StarClan sent to me in my dream...He claims that StarClan opened his senses and gave him the name of Trickpaw."

Sunpaw nodded. Promisepaw felt a little flicker of unease. How many of the other apprentices knew about Trickpaw's past? _And since when has Shadowpaw...been so...open with someone?_ Aloud, she said, "Although, I can't help wondering if StarClan has chosen a particular destiny for Trickpaw. Kittypets never join Clans...do they?"

"I'm not sure. I've heard rumors of a kittypet who saved four Clans all on his own. They say he was sent by StarClan to save every cat in his forest."

Promisepaw thought that was just plain silly. Trickpaw was strong, granted, but there was no way he could save even a small Clan like SwampClan without help. She shook her head, whiskers twitching with amusement. "I think you need to stop listening to the elders," she murmured softly. Sunpaw shrugged.

"Perhaps. Oh—here comes Trickpaw."

Trickpaw stopped in front of Promisepaw. He studied the white queen with a look in his eyes akin to worship. "I'm ready to talk," he mewed.

"Yeah, I think I can be 'mature,'" Wavepaw added, butting Sunpaw's shoulder with his gray head.

"Whatever," Shadowpaw muttered as she joined the group.

"All right, here's what's going to happen," Promisepaw meowed. "Trickpaw will come with us when we save the Clan...although we need to find out what the danger is first. I'll tell you if I get any more dreams from StarClan, and if you have a strange dream, tell me about it." She waited until there were nods from the other chosen apprentices. "Great. Well, Seedgrowth will probably want me. I'll be going now."

"Bye, Promisepaw," murmured Trickpaw, touching his nose to hers. Promisepaw saw longing in his blue gaze. _Does he...love me? Apprentices aren't allowed to have kits—especially not the medicine cat apprentice!_ Giving herself a quick shake, Promisepaw returned the touch and scampered out of the den.

The white she-cat stepped out into the clearing, shivering. The setting sun was turning the light red, staining the camp red, like..._Blood!_ Promisepaw's hackles rose stiffly along her neck. Was it a message from StarClan? Promisepaw padded nervously to the medicine cat's den, paws twitching with every step of the journey. She heard a harsh, almost barking noise behind her and jumped straight up. She spun on the attacker, yowling, "PromiseClan! Attack!"

"Whoa! Hey!" The raspy voice broke off in another fit of coughing. "Don't get your tail in a twist, Promisepaw!"

Promisepaw let her fur fall flat. "Oh...Nighthawk. It's just you...I thought you were a dog for a second there..."

"Nope." Nighthawk gave another barking cough. "Just...got a little cold. That's—" He coughed again. "—all."

"Come with me," Promisepaw mewed, laying her tail on his shoulders. "We'd better get you fixed up before that turns into whitecough."

Nighthawk nodded, his body rippling with a chill. "Thanks..."

Promisepaw was worried. Was this the danger? A great sickness? Nighthawk didn't look too sick...but you could never be too careful with leaf-fall so near by. "Seedgrowth, can you come take a look at Nighthawk?" she mewed into the hollow tree.

"I could hear him a mile away," was Seedgrowth's retort. "Coughing like a pack of hounds! Promisepaw, do we have any honey?"

"No...I think we gave the last of it to Longfang."

"Could you go get some, please?"

Promisepaw squinched up her face. "Ugh! Do I have to, Seedgrowth?"

"Take Ashfire and Hexmind with you. I don't want you going out alone."

Promisepaw was about to argue when Nighthawk gave another loud cough. Her duty to the Clan's health came first. Promisepaw scurried off to the warriors den. "Ashfire? Hexmind?" she mewed into the darkness. There was a grunt from Hexmind as the black cat opened one brilliant green eye.

"Yeh?"

"Where's Ashfire?"

"Dunno. Patrolling, I think." Hexmind scratched a few scraps of dead leaves and moss from her pelt. "Why? Everything okay?"

"It's Nighthawk. I need to get honey for him."

"Ah. And you'd need Ashfire and his tiny paws to really make that go. Well, I'm sure we can find another dainty-pawed cat for you." The black warrior looked around the den. "Hm...Heavenstep, no, pads are too delicate...Not Quartzfur, paws are too big...Whitebelly!"

"Wha?"

"Come on, you dozy furball! We need you for getting honey."

"Get it yourself."

"Do you want to have to put up with Nighthawk's coughing for another night?" Hexmind asked tactfully. Promisepaw felt a glow of pleasure. Hexmind was a quick-witted cat. Whitebelly staggered to his paws.

"'m up," he mumbled drowsily. His jaws opened in a huge yawn. Hexmind gave him a hearty nudge with her shoulder in the direction of the tunnel used to climb out of the ditch. Whitebelly nearly stumbled, but he stayed on his paws.

Promisepaw followed behind the two warriors at a respectful distance. Hexmind surprised her with an inviting flick of her tail. The young apprentice bounded forward to walk beside the two of them. "You know the drill?" the black she-cat questioned. Promisepaw shook her head. "All right. Basically, I soothe the bees, and a second warrior—normally Ashfire because of his small paws—reaches in and takes the honeycomb."

Promisepaw nodded, her tail curling up happily. Hexmind had been a rogue once, but now she was a loyal warrior of PromiseClan. The white she-cat twitched her whiskers and ears in a wordless plea to lead the expedition. Hexmind nodded, and Promisepaw padded ahead. She paused at every likely looking clumps where the sweet scent of honey was thick on the air. She could almost taste to ooey gooey ambrosia. It was obvious the other warriors were aware of the scent; Whitebelly's eyes were open and alert, and Hexmind gave her lips a lick when she thought no cat was looking.

"Here," Promisepaw mewed after hearing the low hum of a beehive. Hexmind nodded. Pricking their ears up, the two black cats padded forward into the brush. Promisepaw quickly gathered a few leaves to wrap the comb in for transport back to the camp. The white cat sat where she was, tail waving lazily behind her. After a few minutes, the hum droned softer and softer, finally fading into silence. Promisepaw stood up, hoping to catch a glimpse of the two warriors at work.

She watched Whitebelly stick his forepaw into the hole in the tree. He fished around in the hive, finally pulling forth a small section of the comb. Sticky liquid dribbled form the wax. Promisepaw padded forwards and set the leaf on the ground. Whitebelly nodded and dropped the honeycomb atop the leaf. He licked his dark paws, purring with pleasure. "Mmf...'S good," he meowed thickly. "Try fome." He held out his paw to the other cats. Promisepaw took a lick of the honey, as did Hexmind.

Whitebelly let the she-cats lick his paw clean, then went back for more honey. "Juft in cafe more catf get fick," he explained, his speech still impeded by the honey. He pulled out a few more sections of comb. Promisepaw wrapped them up carefully and picked one up in her teeth. Hexmind and Whitebelly did the same with the rest of the comb. Together, the trio headed for home.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Seedgrowth's eyes shone with relief at the sight of the sticky party. "Thank StarClan," he meowed. "We're going to need all of this in case more cats catch this cold of Nighthawk's." He purred with amusement at the sight of the honey still around the three cats' muzzles. "I just hope you left enough for the bees."

"We did," Promisepaw mewed. "There's a ton left for them. I know, they eat it to stay alive in leaf-bare. Remember? You told me about it moons ago."

Seedgrowth purred, giving his apprentice a fond lick. "Yes. And I'm glad you remembered." He sighed, gazing up at the darkening sky. "Take some fresh-kill and catch up with your friends," he ordered. "I'll take it from here. Thank you, all of you."

Hexmind and Whitebelly accepted the thanks and padded off to the warriors den. Promisepaw watched Seedgrowth administer the honey. She licked her muzzle carefully, wondering what the topic of conversation would be with the other apprentices tonight.


	11. Chapter 9

Leader lifted his muzzle, sniffing deeply. Smallfur scent was all around. The big wolf heaved himself to his paws, sniffing harder. The scent was fresh..."Smallfurs," he grunted, looking around. Follower stood beside him, peering into the darkness on the other side of the bars. He let out a loud bark.

"Smallfurs!"

The rest of the pack took up the cry. "Smallfurs! Smallfurs! Smallfurs!" Tails were wagged and pelts ruffled with excitement. Leader gazed out at his Pack, his pride. These were the elite wolves, the wolves so powerful that the Furless locked them away so they would not hurt other Furless.

A brown and black she-wolf called Nameless Barker was Leader's own mate. Silver Follower was Leader's best friend and Beta. Blood Fang was Leader's son, a snow-white wolf with gangly legs and his father's staring eyes. No Tail was the oldest, a he-wolf with graying fur and a bare backside. His tail had been torn off by the Furless' snares. Or rather, by Leader in an attempt to free the elderly wolf.

Leader focused his wild gaze on the shadows by the bars. Yes...a Smallfur was right there. The wolf crouched down to try and coax it out of hiding. "Come," he panted in what he hoped was a friendly tone. "Come. See you. Safe."

A tawny Smallfur stepped out from the brush. She padded fearlessly up to the cage, tail held high and proud. Leader smirked, wagging his tail. The Smallfur spoke. "I come. Why? Why come?" it asked in a wolfish tone.

"See. Smell. Know," Leader replied simply. "Not hide from Leader."

"Not trying. Leader great. Leader brave. Leader strong." The Smallfur was flattering him, and Leader lapped it all up. "Leader smart. See all. Smell all. Know all."

"Why come, Smallfur?" Leader asked. "Why come to Packlands?"

The Smallfur flicked its tail. A small group of Smallfurs padded out to stand behind it. The lead Smallfur tapped its chest with its tail. "Name not Smallfur. Name Ocarina."

"Ocarina-Smallfur," Leader barked. Ocarina sighed softly, but nodded. She tapped the white Smallfur behind her. "Name Tempus."

"Tempus-Smallfur."

She tapped another Smallfur. "Name Hawk."

"Hawk-Smallfur."

Through the simple touch and repetition, Leader learned the names of all of Ocarina's Smallfurs: Tempus, Hawk, Thief, Maju, Zachary, and Hera. When Ocarina had finished introductions, she motioned for Leader to imitate her. The big wolf snorted. Like he would stoop to acting like a tasty little Smallfur!

"Pa-a-a-A-A-A-a-ack!" he howled. The Pack stepped into formation. Leader sat down and indicated to all of his wolves. "Follower. Nameless Barker. Blood Fang. No Tail. Pa-a-a-A-A-A-a-ack!"

"Pa-a-a-A-A-A-a-ack!" the Pack echoed. Leader swished his tail for them to settle. Every wolf obeyed instantly. The Alpha crouched back down to study Ocarina.

"What Ocarina-Smallfur want?" he asked curiously. "What want with Pack?"

"Have enemies. Smallfur enemies. Pack come. Pack kill. Pack and Alliance be friends." Ocarina indicated her group of Smallfurs. "Called Alliance."

Leader twisted his lips thoughtfully. "Pack. Pack want payment. Not kill for free." He looked from wolf to wolf. They all answered his unspoken question with the hunger in their eyes. "Want meat. Living-meat. Not dead-meat."

"Pack help Alliance. Alliance give Pack living-meat." Ocarina's brown gaze twinkled in the starlight. "Smallfur-meat."

Leader recalled his first taste of Smallfur-meat. His huge tongue went out and licked drool from his lips. Here was a Smallfur, practically begging to be gobbled up, offering him the chance to eat Smallfurs. "Pack help," he barked gruffly. "But...Pack trapped. Can't get free. Can't help Alliance."

"Alliance free Pack," Ocarina meowed. Leader's ears pricked forward to catch her voice. "Alliance find way to free. Alliance smart. Do many things together. Pack run free soon." She laid her paw on the scratched and gnawed bar. "We'll have to find a way to cut this silver branch," she muttered to the Smallfurs behind her. "It looks strong, though. I'm not sure how we can do it."

"Pack bite through. Pack strong." Leader gripped the bar in his teeth and started his sawing motion again. The Pack howled encouragements. After a few minutes, Leader became exhausted and stepped away. Follower took his place. Leader turned back to Ocarina. "Pack free Pack. Alliance help Pack hide from Furless. Feed Pack. Pack help Alliance."

"Alliance hide Pack. Help Pack." Ocarina waved her tail and the other Smallfurs departed into the bushes by the cage. She locked gazes with Leader, and the two stared at each other. Leader saw ambition in her eyes. Hatred of other Smallfurs. The look of a leader. The wolf nodded.

"Pack help," he grunted, sticking his paw out of the cage. "Paw-swear, Ocarina-Smallfur."

Ocarina placed her tiny, pale paw over Leader's massive, black one. Leader tipped his head back, howling wordlessly to the skies. Ocarina joined him in a yowl. Their voices mingled eerily in the night air, a chorus of dark promises and evil plots. Leader dropped his head first. Ocarina followed his lead. "Paw-swear never broken, Alliance safe," Leader explained. "Broken, Pack turn. Alliance dead, eaten."

"Understand." Ocarina turned to leave, flicking her tail as she left. Leader watched her leave. He sat down. Nameless Barker sat beside him, and licked his cheek lovingly.

"Leader make paw-swear with Smallfurs," she commented.

"Smallfurs, Alliance...Pack stronger." Leader grinned. "Alliance hide Pack. Pack help Alliance. When done, Pack turn on Alliance. Paw-swear for Packs only." Nameless Barker chuckled softly. Leader was brilliant!

"More Smallfurs to feed pups." Nameless Barker flopped down and licked her swollen stomach. Leader's eyes softened as he, too, caressed his mate's belly. His pups were inside. His pups would be born free. His pups would taste Smallfur blood. With a burst of parental pride, he threw back his head and howled the pup song. Nameless Barker joined in. The rest of the Pack remained silent. Only the Alphas sang the pup song.

The moon glowed coldly overhead. Leader padded over and sat in a ray of moonlight. The silver light bathed his black pelt. The big wolf felt a wave of peace wash over him at the sight of Silvereye. It was the eye of the Silver Wolf, Starsire, whose pups were the glittering pricks of light and whose mate was the Golden Wolf, Daymother. Every wolf knew that.

Leader's gaze shifted to the huge band of Starsire's pups. These were the greatest of his pups, and they stood in a tribal force, awaiting the day when all wolves' hearts would be searched. On that day, they would descend from their father's cave and bound across the land, seeking the strongest Packs. Those Packs would join them forever with Starsire and Daymother. And Leader was sure his Pack would be one of them.

The black wolf lifted his muzzle to Silvereye and moaned softly in an ancient language, one that was used only to speak with Starsire. _Great Wolf...Give my Pack strength. Let us eat many Smallfurs and prove our might. May we be worthy._ He curled up beside his sleeping mate. _May we be worthy..._


	12. Chapter 10

Trickpaw stretched and yawned, extending each leg in turn. The ginger tomcat blinked his eyes sleepily. Riverstar's voice persisted. "Trickpaw, come on! The prey won't catch itself, you know. There's plenty of bellies that need feeding in this Clan, and you're just the cat who can feed them."

Trickpaw bounded out of the den in one fluid leap. Riverstar purred and licked his ear. "Good job," she meowed. "Now let's get a move on. The early cat catches the bird."

"Then birds had better sleep late when Trickpaw the Hunter comes around," mewed Trickpaw, eyes glinting mischievously. Riverstar purred.

"You remind me of another young cat I know," she said as they padded out of the misty camp. "And it's a cat you'd know and recognize. He was just like you when he was an apprentice: eager, sharp...a little blunt sometimes. Sound familiar?"

"Quartzfur?" Trickpaw ventured. Riverstar shook her head. "No, no...Racefoot?"

"Sunface."

"No way!"

"Way."

Trickpaw couldn't help an amused purr. He loved his mentor. Clan leader or not, she always made time for him. And even though she knew he was a kittypet, she treated him like any other Clanborn apprentice. "Was Sunface really...You knew him when..._Sunface_?"

"He was my apprentice back in DuskClan." Riverstar gave a sigh. "Back in the days when Wingfoot was my main rival, Sunface was Sunpaw, and TigerClan roamed the land." She purred. "Ooh. I'm old."

Trickpaw followed Riverstar out a good distance from the camp. The blue-gray queen flopped down on a rock to rest. She rolled onto her back and pawed lazily at the tendrils of fog around her. "Tell me, Trickpaw," she meowed, "about this mist. What will it do for our hunting conditions? Think carefully before you answer, and remember that there are two sides to everything."

Trickpaw nodded. He sat down a few pawsteps away from his mentor and gazed around him at the misty world. "Well...it's very hard to pick up scents in this mist," he answered at length. "So it will be harder to find our prey...But, the other side is that our prey will have a harder time scenting us."

"Good show." Riverstar heaved herself to her paws. "Well, you go off and see what you can catch, hey? I'll keep an eye on you. Make sure you don't get into any trouble." Trickpaw nodded and padded off into the fog. He heard Riverstar jump into a tree behind him. He knew the she-cat would prowl from branch to branch, always right above him.

A gentle rustling noise attracted the young tom's attention. His ears pricked forward to catch the sound again. Scurry, scurry. Rustle, rustle. Squeak, squeak. Mouse, mouse. Trickpaw grinned and dropped down into a hunting crouch. He slipped towards his prey as quietly as he could, noting the first fallen leaves. They had crunched under his paws once, and he wasn't going to let it happen again. A flash of gray. A flash of gold. Trickpaw sat up, holding the limp body of a mouse between his jaws.

But Riverstar did not jump down to congratulate him. Trickpaw stiffened. He sniffed the air warily. No...no prey-scent. No rogue-scent. Nothing but the smell of him and his—

"MROWW!" Trickpaw yowled as Riverstar pounced on him, bringing him to the ground.

"Always be alert, young Trickpaw," the PromiseClan leader mewed as she stepped off. Trickpaw stood up, shaking the dust from his pelt. He examined the squashed mouse beneath him. Riverstar gave an embarrassed purr. "You can take that one for yourself. We'll be a while here before the prey settles down again."

"Why'd you do that, anyway?" Trickpaw asked, his mouth full. "I mean, mmf, 's not like I was just going to keep quiet while I thought I was being attacked."

"Something to learn, my apprentice, is that you must never drop your guard. A rogue would no sooner eat a plump piece of fresh-kill than attack an unwary apprentice."

"My mother was a rogue," Trickpaw pointed out mildly. "And she raised me just fine. Not all rogues are bad, you know."

"They are if they choose the life of a kittypet over their free life in the wild," Riverstar murmured. Trickpaw choked on a bite of mouse. She had been staring straight at him. "Yes, Trickpaw, I know of your mother, and your past. I know you were once a kittypet." Her eyes softened. "But you chose to join the Clans, and that changes everything."

"You...knew my mother?"

"Kenya, right?" Trickpaw said nothing, so Riverstar continued. "Pretty tortoiseshell with dark eyes? That about right? I know we sheltered a pregnant she-rogue for a few moons. She said she was going to call her firstborn Trickster. Left after a few weeks of being a Clan cat. Said it wasn't her style. Too rogue. We told her our paws would always be open for her. She went off to be a kittypet, didn't she?"

"Y...Yes...There were two in her litter, myself and Queenie...the others..." Trickpaw shook his head, the mouse forgotten. "I don't know, but I remember there being four of us..."

"I'm not sure where they are," Riverstar replied, giving Trickpaw a friendly lick. "But I do know that one of the survivors has become something to make his mother proud: a warrior." She lifted her muzzle to the sky. "Tell me, Trickpaw, do you regret your decision?"

Trickpaw blinked. "Regret?"

"You know, if you decide to return to your Twoleg nest once leaf-bare comes, I won't judge you." Her dark blue eyes seemed to stare beyond the white fog and up to StarClan themselves. "But I really hope you don't. Promisepaw and the others have grown very fond of you."

"Excluding Shadowpaw."

"Do you know why Shadowpaw is who she is?" Trickpaw shook his head. "Shadowpaw was once an apprentice of SwampClan. She was cast from her Clan when an evil-hearted she-cat called Thornheart killed the leader. Only Shadowpaw saw what really happened. Thornheart knew, and blamed Jetstar's death on the Shadowpaw. She ran from her own birth-Clan." Trickpaw was shocked. "Shadowpaw trusts very few cats. She's always wary, always watching...How would you feel, if you were blamed for your own mentor's death?"

"I would feel terrible," Trickpaw whispered. "Did they ever sort Thornheart out?"

"Thornstar, you mean? I'm not sure. We are no longer a part of that forest."

Trickpaw shivered. He thought back to all the cutting remarks Shadowpaw had made about him, all the times she had ignored him, all the times she had barely been kept from using her claws on him...Now he understood. Shadowpaw's trust had been shattered, and was likely to never be repaired. It was understandable if she didn't want to open up to a strange cat who came seemingly out of nowhere. He shivered. "I...think the prey has calmed down now," he mumbled, trying to break the oppressive silence. Riverstar nodded.

The two cats padded through the woods together, silent. The relaxed slope of Riverstar's shoulders and her swaying tail showed that she was not on the lookout for prey. Trickpaw was curious about what was going on in her head, but even more curious about Shadowpaw. There had to be _some_ way he could reconcile himself to the dark cat. "What kinds of prey were there in SwampClan territory?" he asked. Riverstar shrugged.

"I came from DuskClan, where we had rabbits and squirrels. Forest prey. Ask Owlfur, Wavepaw's mentor. She came from SwampClan." Trickpaw nodded. "Why? Feel like getting Shadowpaw a little present?" He nodded again. Riverstar purred. "She's a very beautiful she-cat."

The ginger tom dropped his head. Yes...yes, Shadowpaw was pretty...but not nearly as attractive as Promisepaw. His whiskers twitched with shame. Now Riverstar would think he had a crush on the hostile apprentice from SwampClan. "Just...want to be friends."

"I understand." Riverstar's gaze shifted upwards. She sighed softly. "And it's good of you to offer your paw in friendship. In fact..." She opened her mouth to draw air over her scent glands. Flicking her tail for Trickpaw to stay silent, she meowed to thin air, "You know, sweetheart, I can smell you. You're not fooling any cat."

_Sweetheart? She's here?_ But the PromiseClan leader's hackles were slowly rising along her neck. Trickpaw crouched down, his tail giving an irritated jerk. Riverstar sprang into the bushes. There was a sharp yowl, and Riverstar tumbled back out of the brush gripping a tawny queen in her claws.

"Ocarina, really! Shame on you!" Riverstar scolded as she tussled with the other she-cat. The brown cat, Ocarina, spat in her opponent's face.

"Your days are numbered, forest fool!" Ocarina snapped in reply. "You'll rue the day you killed my mother!"

"You know, if your mother hadn't been such a tyrant, maybe things would've been different." Riverstar's voice was oddly calm and reasonable. Trickpaw guessed that his leader had dealt with this cat before. "But, sadly, that's not the case. Bone Marrow was a dictator, and for that, she was slain."

"At your jaws!"

"Well, it's not like any other cat was planning on doing it."

"Mother would've killed them!"

"Temper, temper." Riverstar pinned Ocarina down with one paw. The light brown cat was panting hard. Riverstar shook her head. "Your skills are failing you, Ocarina. Ordinarily the tables would have turned, and _I'd_ be the one with my muzzle in the dust."

"Rr!" Ocarina thrashed. "Listen, you! The AoDs will rise again under a new leader! We will avenge my fallen mother and take back the territory that is rightfully ours!"

"When hedgehogs fly..."

"We will cast out you foul Clan beasts! Remove every trace of your foul stench from our forest!"

"And replace it with your _own_ foul stench, no doubt..."

"You don't think I'm being serious, do you?" Ocarina demanded, her voice rising to a stressed pitch.

"Well, Ocarina, what you're meowing about is not a feasible plan for revenge. Might I suggest a little less mania and a little more charisma?" The blue-gray cat shrugged. "I mean, vengeance is good and all, but the plan you're discussing is not one that will get you anywhere. It lacks evidence of forethought and not to mention a conclusion."

"Riverstar, are you _telling_ me how to _plot_ my _revenge_?"

"No. I'm merely critiquing your ideas of how to obtain vengeance for your mother's death."

"Riverstar?" Trickpaw mewed.

"Yes?"

The ginger tom padded forward nervously. "Who...is this?" he asked, his voice squeaking like a kit's. Riverstar shrugged.

"No doubt Longfang's told you the story of Bone Marrow." Trickpaw nodded. "Meet her daughter, Ocarina." Riverstar unsheathed a claw, which pricked the other cat's back. "Ocarina, meet my apprentice, Trickpaw." Ocarina grinned sarcastically.

"Riverpaw die on you, did she?" she asked, rolling her eyes to gaze at Riverstar.

"No. River_pelt_."

"I thought you would have called her Riversong."

"There can only be _one_ Riversong, Ocarina."

"And that is too many."

Trickpaw felt a purr start to rise in his throat. He gulped to try and swallow it. Here were two she-cats—obviously archenemies—who were carrying on a seemingly playful argument with each other. But then he noticed the strain in Ocarina's back and Riverstar's leg. He realized that the two were still struggling for dominance over each other, even though they appeared to be on friendly terms. He shivered.

"Ocarina, I think it's time for you to go now. Trickpaw and I have some things to take care of. You know, training and hunting." Riverstar lowered her fangs to Ocarina's shoulder and gave the she-cat a nip. Ocarina yowled and fled, tail bristling. Riverstar sighed. "And _that_, Trickpaw," she meowed, "is PromiseClan's main threat. The daughter of Bone Marrow: Ocarina the Mad."

"She seems sane enough to me."

"Seems. Seems. She's just as mad as her mother before her." Riverstar made a hissing noise. "Well, anyways, what were we doing?"

"I don't remember."

"That's okay. Neither do I." Trickpaw gazed up at Riverstar, his eyes and mouth wide. He wasn't sure if he should look shocked or amused. Riverstar purred. "You look like a fish when you do that, Trickpaw," she purred. "Well, let's just get back to hunting, hey?"

By sunhigh, Trickpaw was carrying a small bird and a mouse. Riverstar held a squirrel and a small bluetit, two more of Trickpaw's catches. Her eyes were gleaming with pleasure. Trickpaw dropped his fresh-kill on the pile and looked up at the sound of his name being called. He spotted Greatpaw running towards him. "Trickpaw! Trickpaw!" she mewed breathlessly. "Did you see Promisepaw, Sunpaw, Wavepaw, and Shadowpaw while you were hunting?"

"No...why? What's wrong, Greatpaw?"

The tabby she-cat was fluffed up with anxiety. Trickpaw could smell her fear. Her green eyes were wide with alarm. The ginger tom recalled that night...Those same apprentices talking about fulfilling a prophecy...Could it be...?

"They're gone! Gone! I can't find them anywhere, and no cat has seen them since last night! Not even their own mentors!" Greatpaw ran in a circle anxiously. "I mean, why in the name of StarClan would they just up and leave like that? Why would they abandon their own Clan? Why would they—?"

"Freeze!" Trickpaw ordered. Greatpaw skidded to a halt, clamping her mouth shut. Trickpaw paced in front of her. "Now...you say no cat has seen them at all today, yet they're missing. Their mentors are all here?"

"Yes. Seedgrowth, Dogbark, Owlfur, and Mousefur." Greatpaw tipped her head to the side. "Well, they _were_ here not too long ago. Sunface sent them out on a patrol along with Pyrefoot and Summerpaw. Why? Is there something here I'm not getting?"

Trickpaw recalled how Greatpaw, Bearpaw, and Summerpaw had all been asleep or outside admiring the moon when the prophecy had been revealed. Of course. Greatpaw didn't know about their destinies. But Promisepaw had said she would bring Trickpaw with them to find out the danger. _Shadowpaw! I bet she convinced Promisepaw and the others to leave without me!_

The ginger tomcat sighed. "Calm down, Greatpaw," he meowed. "Listen, I'm going out to find them. I know where they must have gone. But you can't tell any cat where I've gone. Okay?"

"Okay." Greatpaw gave Trickpaw a gentle nuzzle. "I hope you find them before something bad happens to them...out alone in the forest..." She gulped.

Trickpaw lifted one paw to leave, then snatched the mouse from the fresh-kill pile as a snack for the journey. Hey, he'd probably need it. Giving Greatpaw a nuzzle in return, he turned and raced from the camp. _Promisepaw...Sunpaw...Wavepaw...Shadowpaw...Hope and Shadows and Fire and Water...Hold on...I'm coming!_

**May I just add that this chapter was probably the most fun I've ever had while writing? Seriously. Riverstar and Ocarina...Wasn't it so fun to watch them just go back and forth about it? (laugh track) Yeah, well...there you have it. Ruthie likes to have fun when she writes. And she also likes referring to herself in the third person. And Tigerstar. I know he's evil, but I still love him. Such a pity he had to be evil, isn't it?**

**(coughcough) Yes, well...Ruthie is finished her rant now. Review, sil vous plait. (I no takey the Frenchy. Takey the Spanishy. Honors Three Spanishy. And I am just a Sophomorey.)**


	13. Chapter 11

Shadowpaw lifted her muzzle to the breeze. The dark gray she-cat nodded. "So, tell me again, Promisepaw," she mewed. "This dream you just had?"

"Well, remember that LakeClan warrior who was killed by the fox a few moons ago?"

"Silverwave?" Wavepaw prompted. "Yeah. Why?"

"Well, I saw him last night in a dream. I said to him 'Silverwave! It's been so long!' He just looked at me, kind of like a kit looks at the Clan leader. I guess I must have looked nervous because he said 'Promisepaw, be at peace. You have a new message from StarClan.' 'Silverwave, what is this message?' I asked."

"What'd he say?" asked Sunpaw.

"He said _Seek the child of stars and moon._"

"The child of stars and moon," Shadowpaw repeated. "Typical prophecy."

"Stop being so pessimistic, will you, Shadowpaw?" Sunpaw chided playfully. "We figured out the first one, didn't we? It only took us a half-moon. This one's short and easy. Shouldn't take us too long."

Shadowpaw shrugged. She found herself walking closer to Sunpaw. The former MeadowClan apprentice glanced over at her, but said nothing. His tail rose up and twined with the tip of hers. Shadowpaw knew the others were watching, but she didn't care. She was free of that dithering kittypet Trickpaw. She was on her way to save PromiseClan. Maybe things would be better now...

"Well, I still think we should've waited for Trickpaw before we left," Promisepaw mewed. Shadowpaw snorted.

"Great StarClan, are you still hung up on him?" she spat. "Look, Promisepaw, Trickpaw's a nice cat and all, but you're outta his league! He's not good enough for you!"

Promisepaw's head and tail drooped slightly. Sunpaw gave Shadowpaw a nudge. "Come on, don't be so hard on her," he murmured. Shadowpaw gazed back at him incredulously. How could he be siding with that _kittypet?_

"You know what we need to make our paws lighter? A _song!"_

"Wavepaw, shut up!" Shadowpaw and the others mewed in unison. The silver tom stopped with one paw in the air, looking hurt.

"All right. Fine. I was only trying to help. Geez! You guys are about as friendly as a bunch of hedgehogs." Shadowpaw rolled her eyes at Wavepaw. He was so...so...Wavepaw-ish.

"You know what, Wavepaw?" she asked. "Maybe—just _maybe_—we're not in the mood for your little antics right now. _Maybe_ we'd like to think about the new prophecy and the journey facing us. Can you grant us that silence?"

"And maybe you need to stop being such a badger-brain," Wavepaw retorted.

"I'll badger-brain you!" hissed Shadowpaw, unsheathing her claws. She saw fear dance in Wavepaw's eyes and felt a wave of satisfaction. Of course, she wouldn't dare hurt him...but nothing said she couldn't intimidate him into his place.

"That's enough, Shadowpaw," Promisepaw meowed. "Knock it off. We're supposed to be working together on this journey. What would StarClan say if they looked down now and saw us fighting? We have to save PromiseClan!"

Shadowpaw rumbled her grudging agreement. The dark gray she-cat padded ahead of the others, wanting to get away from their oppressive scents of friendship and purpose. She pushed through the branches of the bush ahead of her and stopped, letting the slight breeze clear her scent glands. _Save the Clan. I know, I know. I want to save the Clan too, but it's not like we're going to get anything done. We're a bunch of apprentices for StarClan's sake! We can't save anything on our own! Not without at least a warrior with us._ Her tail lashed in an irritated way.

Shadowpaw sat down to look at the view. She was seated on a small hill, gazing down at the brook where cats from LakeClan would often fish. Not far from the brook was a Thunderpath and a Twolegplace. Shadowpaw's ears went flat. She was too close to the Twolegs for comfort. This couldn't be the right way. StarClan wouldn't guide chosen cats right towards their enemies. She turned back to see Sunpaw and Promisepaw padding up. Wavepaw was behind them.

"Nice view, huh?" Sunpaw mewed, sitting beside Shadowpaw. The other apprentice nodded. Promisepaw sat behind them.

"I wish we hadn't left Trickpaw behind," she whispered sadly.

"Don't worry, Promisepaw," Wavepaw meowed. "I'm sure he's fine back at camp. After all, he wasn't chosen to travel with us. Shadowpaw was right. Not to say that I don't like him, it's just...I dunno." The silver cat shrugged. "So. Any cat getting hungry? I could teach you guys how to fish if you want."

"That would be wonderful, Wavepaw," Promisepaw replied, getting to her paws. "I've always wondered how you LakeClanners did it. It all seems so hard."

"Not really." Wavepaw padded down from the hill, motioning for the others to follow. "You just have to be quick and watch where your shadow falls. Oh, and also you have to remember that water distorts shapes. A fish that looks close to the surface could be near the bottom."

"Sounds like math's involved," Sunpaw grunted as he stood. Wavepaw hesitated, then nodded.

"Yeah...but you get used to it. It's fairly easy to do. Just remember that water makes things appear about one-and-a-half times their actual size. Usually."

Shadowpaw relented and followed. Fish was not her favorite prey to eat. No. There were no fish for SwampClan. Muskrats...blackbirds...prey that carried that faint undertone of swamp water. But so far, Shadowpaw had not found any such territory. Not in the three moons she had been with PromiseClan. It was frustrating. What she wouldn't give to sink her fangs into a plump young muskrat. Something flopped onto her head, then dropped at her paws. Shadowpaw blinked, startled. Wavepaw purred.

A fish. He had thrown a dead fish at her. The former SwampClan apprentice bared her fangs in a snarl. Wavepaw grinned. "Try some. You'll like it!" He sang the last sentence like a queen trying to persuade a kit to eat. Shadowpaw spat at him, but took a bite of the fish anyway. Her amber eyes went wide. It...that flavor...like...the water must...

Swamp...

Shadowpaw devoured the fish in massive gulps. She sat up, licking her lips. "Show me," she commanded. "How did you do that?"

Wavepaw let out a purr of laughter. "Oh...you like fish, do you?" he teased.

"This fish is different! It tastes like...SwampClan...Not only the territory, but the scent of it...I can smell the swamps again...that marsh mud..." Her eyes closed blissfully. "I'm in StarClan..."

"Glad you like it," Sunpaw muttered. "Personally, I'll stick to moles. You can't beat that satisfaction you get after digging up a whole tunnel system and grabbing that one mole that dug it all."

"MeadowClan digs?" Wavepaw asked incredulously. Sunpaw shrugged and held up a front paw.

"See how big my paws are, Wavepaw? MeadowClan cats dig for their prey sometimes. Queens dig a new nest in the nursery for a new queen's litter. Warriors dig the den further back to allow room for more warriors to sleep. We use our paws for more than walking." He stood up, showing off his height. Sunpaw was a head taller than the other apprentices, but he was no older than any of them. "We're tall to see over the grass of the Endless Plains. MeadowClan is different from the other Clans."

Wavepaw stood up. He was lean-bodied, but lacked impressive height. "Well, LakeClan cats have water-shedding fur," he meowed. "We swim all the time. Plus," and he unsheathed his claws, "we have much longer claws than other Clans. These are good for grabbing those slippery fish."

"Don't you have that weird eyeli–Oh great StarClan!" Promisepaw broke off in a shocked mew as a thin, transparent film spread across Wavepaw's bright eyes. The tom blinked, and the film vanished.

"Yes. We slid it across to protect our eyes from the water."

Shadowpaw stepped up. She was the same height as Wavepaw, but her body was thinner, almost emaciated. "SwampClan cats are thin and light. Our toes," she held up a paw, "are wider apart so we spread our weight better across the boggy ground. We don't sink as fast as other Clans would. We also have sharp senses of smell that allow us to pick up even the faintest trace of prey-scent."

"Since the wet ground would erase it very quickly," Sunpaw mused. Shadowpaw nodded her head. Promisepaw decided it was time for her to show of her Clan-special-ness.

"I was born on the night PromiseClan was formed," she said. "But both of my parents were born in DuskClan. So I have to body of a DuskClan cat. DuskClan is sturdy because of the steep sides of the Shaded Valley. Since the valley is so deep, we don't get much light. For us, sunhigh is as well lit as twilight for the other Clans. We have some of the sharpest eyesight in the Clans."

"You know...I'm starting to wonder something," Sunpaw mewed.

"What?"

"Well, Promisepaw was born in PromiseClan, but her parents came from DuskClan, so she looks like one of those cats. I came from MeadowClan. Wavepaw was from LakeClan. Shadowpaw was from SwampClan." He looked around the others with serious eyes. "Do you think StarClan chose us because we represent the four original Clans: DuskClan, MeadowClan, LakeClan, and SwampClan?"

Shadowpaw couldn't help but let out a soft gasp. Could they? It was too true to be a coincidence. She looked from cat to cat. "Then if that's the case, it was right for us to leave without Trickpaw. He's not from any Clan. He was a rogue."

"But StarClan watches all cats under their care," murmured Promisepaw. Shadowpaw shrugged.

"Maybe, but rogues and kittypets aren't under their care. StarClan watches Clans."

"Shadowpaw, just give it a rest, will you?" Wavepaw demanded. "I mean, we're all stuck together, and we've all got to get along. Leave Trickpaw alone. He didn't do anything to you. Just get whatever bad feelings you have of him out of your heart and move along." The silver cat stood. "It's getting late. We should find someplace to rest for the night."

"How about that tunnel?" Sunpaw suggested, flicking his tail to a large tunnel about three tail-lengths high. "It looks sheltered enough."

Shadowpaw looked around and nodded with the other cats. Sure. Why not? She padded inside the tunnel, flicking her paws with irritation. "Ugh! Sunpaw, this tunnel's got water in it!"

"Well, it's sheltered at the very least. Besides, I've seen these before. They get wider after a while. Just keep going, Shadowpaw. You're doing great."

Shadowpaw felt a brief glow of pleasure at Sunpaw's remark. She followed after the young tom, noting the ease with which he moved. His muscles rippled smoothly under his gold and ginger pelt. He was a handsome tomcat, no doubt. The dark apprentice felt content just to watch him glide along the passageway like a ray of fire. She sighed.

True to Sunpaw's word, the tunnel did indeed widen, and the tired foursome were able to curl up around the edge of the water. Shadowpaw shivered. SwampClan cats did not have thick fur. It was impractical when you lived in a land of wet, clinging mud. Something warm pressed against her. Sunpaw.

"A little cold there, eh, Shadowpaw?" he asked softly. Shadowpaw nodded. "Well, curl up as close as you need to stay warm. We can't have a chosen cat dying on the journey, can we?"

Shadowpaw snuggled close up to him. They lay there, like day and night, together in a warm, furry pattern. Shadowpaw drifted off into an easy sleep.

Somewhere around moonhigh, though, her dreams were shattered by an echoing voice hissing around the small cavern. "Hey...Promisepaw?...Wavepaw?...Shadowpaw?...Sunpaw?...Are you guys in here?"

Trickpaw.


	14. Chapter 12

Sunpaw twitched as his name was whispered. Without opening his eyes, he gunted, "Just great, Trickpaw. I was having this awesome dream about hunting with Shadowpaw and..." His eyes opened. "And our mentors were so proud of all they prey we'd caught." He blinked. _Where am I?_ Then he remembered. The prophecy. He had gone out with the others to fulfill it. But hadn't they left Trickpaw at camp?

The golden tomcat stepped into the small cave. He looked around at all of them. "Hey, I thought you guys were going to take me with you," he mewed angrily. Promisepaw licked his ear.

"We were...but then I had another dream from StarClan. One that we felt was too urgent to wait." She sighed. "We were going to take you with us, but things got too important to delay any longer. But now that you're here, you can come with us."

"Right back to camp," Shadowpaw growled. "We found out more about the first prophecy, and now it's even clearer that you shouldn't be involved."

"Shadowpaw," Sunpaw murmured into her dark ear. Shadowpaw turned to him with a look of pity. Self-pity. Sunpaw blinked, not sure what to make of the look on the she-cat's face. He turned back to Trickpaw. "Well, it's too far back to camp, and if we go back, the warriors won't let us leave a second time."

"Looks like we're stuck with you, Trickpaw," Wavepaw meowed, batting the other apprentice's ear playfully. "Welcome to the Prophecy Fulfillers." He looked around at the annoyed faces. "What? That's what I've decided to call us."

Sunpaw rolled his eyes. "Look, Wavepaw, why don't you just spoil the mood and start telling us jokes? You know, particularly the one you always try to tell about Birdflight when she's not around?"

Wavepaw brightened up considerably. "Sure thing. So, Birdflight goes out on the moonhigh patrol, right? And while she's out there, she smells a rabbit. 'Funny,' she thinks, 'what's a rabbit doing out so late?' So she's stalking through the forest, and all of a sudden—"

The silver tom broke off as Promisepaw shoved his muzzle into the moss that was everywhere in the tunnel. "To make a long joke short," she concluded, "The rabbit is actually a sparrow whose cousin is a hawk." Trickpaw stared. "It's more funny when Birdflight is around."

"Her reaction makes the joke funny," Sunpaw explained. "Wavepaw's jokes are pretty terrible."

"Not th' one 'bout the kittypet an' th' warrior of PlagueClan!" Wavepaw muttered. Promisepaw released his muzzle. "All right, so there's this kittypet. And one day, he meets a warrior of PlagueClan. Now, since he doesn't know of PlagueClan, he thinks the warrior is a—" Again, Promisepaw pushed him down.

"That one's not funny either," she growled.

"Firebelly likes it!"

"Firebelly is almost completely deaf."

"She purrs every time I tell it."

"Because it sounds like your saying a warrior of PreyClan."

"Wavepaw, enough with the corny jokes," Shadowpaw snarled. She turned to Trickpaw. Sunpaw could see a glint of mistrust in her tawny eyes, but her voice was civil. "I say we let Trickpaw come along. Sunpaw is right. We'd never get to leave again, and PromiseClan couldn't be saved."

There was a stunned silence. Trickpaw purred. "Thanks, Shadowpaw," he mewed. Shadowpaw shrugged.

"All right. So Trickpaw is coming with us," Promisepaw reported. "Trickpaw, the new prophecy is _Seek the child of stars and moon._ Can you guess what it means?"

"I think..." Trickpaw's face screwed up with thought. "I mean...it sounds like something I've heard before...something my mother used to sing to me...I know it's there...But I just can't place it."

"Have you eaten yet?" Sunpaw offered. "I always think better with a full stomach."

"I had a mouse last night while I was trying to track down you guys. But, aside from that, no. I'm pretty hungry. Do you have any fresh-kill?"

"Sorry," Promisepaw mewed.

"Outta luck," Wavepaw added.

"We didn't save any of our catches," Shadowpaw said with a shrug. Trickpaw sighed and padded back out the tunnel.

"I'm going to go hunt. Let me know if I should bring something back."

"I'll come." Sunpaw stood to his paws. Shadowpaw followed him. Soon the other two were hot on Trickpaw's tail.

"We'll split up in pairs," Trickpaw mewed.

"No fair. That means someone's gonna be alone!" Wavepaw protested. "And it'll be me, I just know it."

"You're a big tom. You can take care of yourself." Sunpaw gave Wavepaw a rough nudge, amusement glinting in both cats' eyes. "I'll go with Shadowpaw. Promisepaw can go with Trickpaw. Wavepaw, you're the odd cat out."

Wavepaw spat, his whiskers twitching with amusement. He padded off. "Dibs on the brook!" he mewed over his shoulder.

"We'll take the forest," Promisepaw added. "Which leaves you and Shadowpaw the little field over there." She flicked her tail. "We'll learn the skills of the other Clans that way."

Sunpaw nodded and watched the other cats go off to hunt. He turned to Shadowpaw. "Well, I guess it's you and me," he meowed. "I'll have you hunting like a MeadowClan cat in not time at all!" He bounded off towards the small field. As he ran, he gazed over at Shadowpaw.

Her pelt was dark as a raven's wing, sleek and shiny as one as well. As she ran, her thin body bunched and stretched in fluid leaps, paws extended to grip the soil. Her toes were indeed widely spaced, but they charmed Sunpaw. It made her seem special. Like no cat he had ever seen before. She turned to face him, and Sunpaw noted the glint in her warm amber eyes. He purred as he ran along.

"So, how does MeadowClan hunt?" Shadowpaw asked when they had reached the field. Sunpaw studied the patch of grass carefully. He nodded.

"Well, it might be a little difficult for you. Your paws are much smaller than mine, and that will make it harder for you to dig for your prey." He pointed with his tail to a long bump of earth. "That's a tunnel." He sniffed it. "A gopher tunnel. They're a bit big for an apprentice to tackle alone, but there's two of us. "Now, press your paw on the bump."

Shadowpaw did so, and the roof of the tunnel collapsed, sending a whiff of prey-scent out. "Good. That's the first step: open up the passage. Now, listen. Can you hear that scrabbling? That's the gopher trying to dig its way away from us. Which way is it coming from?"

Shadowpaw flicked her tail behind them. Sunpaw shook his head. "Well, yes and no. The gopher is digging that way, but look behind you. See how the tunnel is moving to the side? It's going that way. Go a few tail-lengths away from where the tunnel is and start to dig. Dig a hole about two paws deep...actually, make it six paws deep."

Sunpaw busied himself with digging a similar hole on the other end of the tunnel. His work complete, he stopped to watch Shadowpaw. The dark apprentice was busily digging her own hole. Sunpaw wondered if perhaps he should tell her that it was hard to dig too deep. She stopped suddenly and crouched in front of the hole. "The gopher will likely have smelled you now. It'll try to run to my end of the tunnel. I'll scare it back to you, and you scare it back to me. We'll do this for a while until it gets worn out." Shadowpaw nodded. Sunpaw waited. Sure enough, the dug portion of the tunnel heaved as the creature within made its way back to the other end.

Sunpaw stuck his paw down the hole and swiped at the gopher. He heard the creature squeak and hurry back to the other end. A few heartbeats later, Shadowpaw swiped at the rodent. Back and forth they went until Sunpaw lost count. Finally, he'd had enough. When the gopher came back to him, he extended his claws and snagged it. Lifting his paw from the tunnel, he displayed the creature proudly. "A good fat one!" he crowed. He tossed it against the ground to stun it and went in for the killing bite.

Shadowpaw crouched beside him, her eyes shining. "That was incredible!" she mewed. Sunpaw nodded proudly.

"Couldn't have done it without your help," he meowed. "You'd make a fine MeadowClan cat, Shadowpaw." Shadowpaw's face shone with pleasure, which was not an expression usually used for such a dark-furred cat. "This great hairball will feed at least two of us. We'll be so fat we won't be able to fight."

Together, the two apprentices padded back to the meeting place, the wet tunnel. Wavepaw was already waiting, a small pile of fish beside him. His green eyes widened when he saw the gopher. "Great StarClan! You brought back a badger cub!"

"I wish," Sunpaw muttered around a mouthful of fur. "I hear DuskClan eats young badgers sometimes."

"I heard it's only during times of little prey," Shadowpaw pointed out. "Which makes more sense. I think badger cub is more of a rarity for them than a gourmet meal."

Trickpaw and Promisepaw appeared a few minutes later with two mice and a swallow. They dropped their catches among the rest of the fresh-kill. Promisepaw studied the other apprentices. "I think we're lucky," she meowed. "Leaf-fall is coming up quickly, and we've caught so much fresh-kill." As if to accent her remark, a vivid red leaf landed on her nose. She shook it off with a snort and a purr.

Gathered around as one group, the apprentices feasted. But, as Promisepaw commanded them to do, they left the mice and bird for later. "They're easier to carry. We should leave tomorrow."

Sunpaw said nothing during his meal. He was too busy enjoying the gopher with Shadowpaw. Their gazes never wavered, and Sunpaw was sure that deep inside...beyond all of her sharp remarks and shyness...he could see a flicker of the loving, playful she-cat that lived inside his friend.


	15. Chapter 13

**Ooh...Chapter 13! If you're superstitious, you don't have to read this chapter. However, if you think that 13 is just a number that comes between 12 and 14, I congratulate you—that's how I feel. So, all you triskaidekaphobics (people who are afraid of Friday the 13th and the number 13 in general), skip ahead to Chapter 14. You won't miss anything, I promise. Except, of course, a little look into the head of our furry friend Wavepaw.**

Wavepaw stretched and yawned, his pink tongue curling out of his mouth.He blinked around the tunnel-den. It was empty except for him. The silver tom gave a shiver. If there was one thing he hated, it was being alone. It terrified him beyond belief. He raced down the tunnel to see Promisepaw and Trickpaw sharing tongues while Shadowpaw and Sunpaw chatted. He heaved a sigh of relief.

Good. His public was still here.

"Mornin' toms and queens. Wavepaw the great is here!" he mewed, strolling into their midst. Promisepaw giggled.

"Your fur is a mess, Wavepaw," she squeaked. Wavepaw blinked, looking himself over. Well, it seems someone woke up on the wrong side of the den.

"I look handsome as ever," he protested.

"No you don't, really," Shadowpaw muttered.

"Says you, Little Miss Shadowpaw. I'll have you know every hair on my pelt is perfectly groomed."

"Every hair except those on your head, wethead," Sunpaw scoffed. Wavepaw bounded over to the brook and studied his reflection in the pool. Sure enough, his head-fur was standing up straight in some places and lying flat in others. He blinked.

"Great StarClan. I look like a mouse who got in a fight with a kittypet!" he breathed. Wavepaw hesitated at the water's edge for a heartbeat, then dove right in. The resulting wave caused his friends to snarl and spit. Wavepaw surfaced, blowing water from his muzzle. His long silver fur was slicked against his sleek body. "All better?"

"No. I'm wet!"

"Listen, Wave-for-Brains, we're not all from LakeClan!"

"Geez, Wavepaw!"

"Aw, great. I hate water!"

Wavepaw snickered. "Aw, come on, you guys. A little wet never hurt any cat. We spent all this time talking about Clan differences yesterday, I say it's time we started talking Clan unity!"

Shadowpaw shook her dark head slowly. Sunpaw gave himself numerous shakes. Promisepaw stepped away from Trickpaw. "Is everything okay, Wavepaw?" she asked. "Last night, your dreams seemed very troubled."

Wavepaw cursed himself in his thoughts. Trying to keep his normal positive face, he mewed, "No. Well, yeah, actually, everything's a-okay. Why?"

"Well, you kept mewing in your sleep...Talking about some cats called Snailpaw and Ripplepaw. Were they friends from LakeClan?"

"Friends from StarClan, more like," muttered Wavepaw darkly. "Yeah, they were part of the reason why I left my old Clan...It was leaf-bare...and the three of us were sick with whitecough...I...I got better, but they...both of them went to greencough...and died...There was nothing left for me in LakeClan...Nothing at all..." The silver tom dropped his head, not wanted to meet any cat's gaze. "There. Now you know why Wavepaw the Joker left his home. All right? But if you tell any cat...I'll never forgive you...Never...say their names again..."

He looked up and the gentle feeling of soft fur around him. Every apprentice, even Shadowpaw, was pressed up against their grieving friend in an embrace of mutual concern. Wavepaw surrendered himself to the warmth of their concern. He let go of everything. Words tumbled out in a rush. "Snailpaw...she was Ripplepaw's sister...beautiful tortoiseshell...the most gorgeous green eyes in the Clans...Ripplepaw was my best friend...silver tabby with darker stripes...brown eyes...We did everything together..." He sighed. "Everything..."

"Both died of greencough..." Promisepaw murmured.

"I felt so guilty...felt like I had made them worse with my sickness...Maybe if I hadn't been there...they would still be...alive...here...We would be hunting at Rushden...Playing by the Shining River...Silverpelt in the lake...Friends forever, Snailpaw...Friends forever Ripplepaw...Friends forever, Wavepaw..." He let out a heavy sigh. "The night before we got sick, it was so clear. You could see Silverpelt perfectly on the surface of Midnightsky Lake. We tossed rocks into the lake and watched the warriors of StarClan dance around. We promised to be friends...friends forever."

"Wavepaw." Promisepaw pressed her muzzle into his side. "Don't go any further. It's too much for you..."

"No. I have to. You should know." Wavepaw strove to keep his head out of his chest. "I guess it was because we were out in the cold that we got sick. I mean, we had just gotten through swimming. 'We're swimming with all of LakeClan's ancestors!' Snailpaw mewed. Oh, Snailpaw...so naive...Ripplepaw and I loved you so much..." The silver tomcat sighed again. "It did so much bad, but it felt so good...Swimming with our ancestors..." He purred softly.

Wavepaw looked around at all the others. He saw concern reflected in every pair of eyes, from icy blue to tawny gold. Sunpaw broke the silence first. He pushed his muzzle into Wavepaw's flank affectionately. "Well, we're here for you, Wavepaw," he murmured. "Whatever happens, we won't leave you. Friends forever."

Wavepaw tackled the tall tomcat. "Aw, Sunpaw, ya big furball!" he mewed. "Thanks for everything. I owe you guys for this."

Shadowpaw placed her paw on his back. "All right. Enough theatrics, wethead. We get the point."

"Yeah, we'd better get a move on," Promisepaw added, looking up at the sky. "I'm wondering if it would be better to travel by day or night."

"Well, by night, there are less monsters on the Thunderpath," Sunpaw mused. "And we wouldn't have to worry about Twolegs and their dogs. But during the day, we'd be able to plot our course better. Er...if we ever actually manage to plot a course to begin with, that is..."

"I vote for the night," Shadowpaw meowed. "We'll be hidden by the shadows."

"Correction: You'd be hidden by the shadows," Trickpaw pointed out mildly. "Promisepaw would stick out like a torn claw. Besides, the world is a very different place at night. Scents are different...Shapes are unrecognizable...You have trouble telling friend from foe."

"But the prophecy said to seek the child of _stars_ and _moon_. If those come out during the day, you tell me, Trickpaw. I'd love to see it," joked Wavepaw, his tail curling up happily.

"You can see the moon during the day sometimes," Promisepaw mewed. "And the sun is the leader of LionClan...who is in StarClan now...so technically the sun is a star." She scratched behind her ear. "I think."

"This is getting us nowhere," Sunpaw interjected. "Those in favor of traveling by night, stand up." Wavepaw and Shadowpaw stood. Sunpaw nodded. "That's three. Those in favor of the day?" Sunpaw sat while Trickpaw and Promisepaw stood. "That's two. Looks like we'd better hit the moss. Nighttime comes late...or early." The gold-striped tom shrugged uncomfortably.

Wavepaw yawned and padded over to the brook. He lay beside it and stuck in an idle paw. The crisp water swirled around it, causing his long fur to stream out as if blown back by wind. The silver tom nodded silently. Something about the waters...so soothing and serene...it felt...natural. Laying his head on his paws, Wavepaw let out a soft purr. He was dimly aware of the others shifting lazily around him.

The water...so cool and pure...and speckled. No. No, the bottom was speckled, the water was pure. Funny. The water...no, the bottom...two dark rocks that looked like eyes...Ripplepaw's eyes...Wavepaw blinked in surprise. Had he really seen that? Leaning closer to the water, Wavepaw took a closer look. Yes...those were his eyes! But how? And the streambed...those speckles. Could it be? Tabby fur? "Ripplepaw?" Wavepaw whispered.

The current shifted to briefly cover Ripplepaw's left eye with silt. Wavepaw stared, mouth agape. Ripplepaw always used to wink. Then the silt was cleared and the brown eye-stone reappeared. Wavepaw pricked his ears up. Something told him to listen very carefully.

_Hope, Shadows, Fire, and Water will join together and save the promised Clan._

_Yes?_ thought Wavepaw. _I know that. What else is there? Come **on**, Ripplepaw!_

_Only the fox knows the way..._

"Only the fox knows the way?" Wavepaw mewed aloud. "Seriously, Ripplepaw! Following a fox? Cats don't follow foxes! Cats kill foxes!" He reached up with a dripping paw to splash the image of his friend's face away, but stopped himself. The others had gathered around him, staring curiously into the stream.

"Wavepaw...why are you talking to the brook?" Sunpaw asked dryly.

"Don't you see those two brown stones?" Wavepaw queried. Every other cat shook their head. Wavepaw shifted his gaze back to the water. They were gone! "I swear, there were these two brown pebbles in there that look exactly like Ripplepaw's eyes!"

"Yeah. _Sure_, Wavepaw," Trickpaw muttered. "I think you had a little too much fresh-kill. You're starting to see things." He rolled his eyes. "Rocks that look like some cat's eyes. Puh-lease!"

"Tell me more about what you saw, Wavepaw," Promisepaw mewed gently. "What else did you see? What did you hear? Smell anything different?"

Wavepaw indicated to the streaks of black silt in the creek bottom. "See, I had my paw in the water, right? So, I'm just lying here, not thinking of too much, really—"

"Do you ever?" Shadowpaw grunted. Wavepaw ignored her.

"—when I notice those two brown stones. 'That's odd,' I though, 'they look like Ripplepaw's eyes.' I look a little closer, and see all this black sand in the bottom. I'm telling you, it looked so much like his fur, it was scary. I listened closely, and I heard the water bubbling along...and something else."

"What? Did you hear a prophecy from StarClan?"

"It sounded like Ripplepaw's voice, it really did. He said _Hope, Shadows, Fire, and Water will join together and save the promised Clan._ I was thinking 'I already know that, Ripplepaw. What more are you gonna tell me?' Well, he kept going, like he'd read my thoughts or something. He said _Only the fox knows the way._"

"Only the fox knows the way," Promisepaw repeated. "Only the fox. The fox..."

"That it?" Sunpaw asked, turning to Wavepaw. Wavepaw nodded. _Did I actually get a prophecy from StarClan? Firemane of LionClan, am I good or what?_

"Only the fox knows the way," Trickpaw repeated softly. Wavepaw's ears twitched. He listened in to the young tom's mutterings. "I should know what that means...I know it's staring me right in the face! But what is it? What?"

"You're thinking to hard about this, Trickpaw," Wavepaw murmured. "It's just a prophecy. I'm sure we'll figure this one out soon enough. We're great with riddles."

"No, no. I should know what this is about," Trickpaw growled. He smacked the side of his head with his tail. "Think! Think!"

"Promisepaw, please stop Trickpaw from killing himself with his tail."

"Oh, he won't do any harm, Wavepaw. It's his tail, for StarClan's sake. It's not like it's the claws of an enemy warrior." Wavepaw snorted, rolling his eyes skyward.

Trickpaw stopped beating himself and leapt to his paws. "That's it! What do you say when you've tricked someone?"

"Uh...you pulled a fast one?" Shadowpaw offered.

"No."

"You pranked them! You joked them!" Sunpaw spluttered.

"Getting closer. Think about outsmarting someone. You out...Out..."

Wavepaw looked around. "You outfoxed them."

"Exactly. You out_fox_ them. The fox! Don't you see? I'm _Trick_paw! I'm the fox! I'm the fox!" The ginger cat started to dance around excitedly. Wavepaw stared at him, realization slowly filling his thoughts.

"So, wait...you know the way?" he ventured. Trickpaw stopped dancing.

"No...not exactly. But I do know something that will help us find the way."


	16. Chapter 14

**All right. All you 13-fearers skip over the last chapter? Well, I lied. You actually have to read Chapter 13 for this next chapter to make any sense at all. (Pause) Ha-ha. Psych! Well, actually no. While you really should have read Chapter 13 (since some important things actually _did_ happen), I'll just give you a brief summary so you don't have to face your fears. But you really should consider counseling if you're triskaidekaphobic.**

**Right, so in the last chapter, Wavepaw confessed the whole story about Snailpaw and Ripplepaw to the other apprentices. They all had a huge debate over whether or not to travel during the day or the night. Night was decided as journey time. Wavepaw went off on his own to play by the stream, and while he was there, he received a prophecy from StarClan: Only the fox knows the way.**

**Trickpaw, after some heavy thinking, realized that he was the "fox" in the prophecy. While he does not know the way for sure, he knows something that will guide his friends on the right path. What is this? Well, you'll have to read and find out. I ain't gonna tell you. Oh, and all you freaks who are afraid of the number 14 (I don't know what's wrong with you; 14 is my absolute favorite number), I refuse to let you skip this chapter. Suck it up, ya big babies! XP**

Trickpaw felt a little nervous as every pair of eyes turned to him. His tail flicked anxiously. What if this wasn't the right way? What if he was all wrong? _StarClan help me!_ "Well...I don't know much, but I remember a song my mother used to sing to me and my siblings every night."

"A song?" Promisepaw asked curiously. Trickpaw felt a wave of warmth towards her. She was so caring and sweet...He shook himself.

"Yes...A song. Although it has a couple lines of gibberish, I think it's what we're looking for." He paused, unsure of how to begin. "So...listen close, I guess."

_"The child of Moon is not who you think!_

_Skittle-um, Diddle-um, Riddle-um-dink._

_The child of Stars is not who you see!_

_Skittle-um, Diddle-um, Riddle-um-dee."_

"The child of stars and moon!" Promisepaw mewed softly. Shadowpaw hushed her.

_"Seeking Moonchild, here's how to go!_

_Skittle-um, Diddle-um, Riddle-um-doe._

_Follow the east wind until the west moor!_

_Skittle-um, Diddle-um, Riddle-um-door."_

"East wind to the west moor? That makes plenty of sense, doesn't it?" muttered Wavepaw. Shadowpaw nudged him dangerously close to a patch of nettles.

_"You may find the Ratnest, but that's the right way!_

_Skittle-um, Diddle-um, Riddle-um-day._

_You may enter the barn, but only for mice!_

_Skittle-um, Diddle-um, Riddle-um-dice._

_Go up to the hayloft and look out below!_

_Skittle-um, Diddle-um, Riddle-um-doe._

_Follow the gold beam wherever it shows!_

_Skittle-um, Diddle-um, Riddle-um-does."_

"I'm liking the 'skittle-um's, myself," Sunpaw murmured. Shadowpaw merely tapped her tail on his shoulder for silence.

_"Don't be disheartened if you're out of luck!_

_Skittle-um, Diddle-um, Riddle-um-duck._

_Remember your cause and fight your way through!_

_Skittle-um, Diddle-um, Riddle-um-dew._

_If you're still going, then don't give up yet!_

_Skittle-um, Diddle-um, Riddle-um-det._

_You're almost home free, so keep your paws strong!_

_Skittle-um, Diddle-um, Riddle-um-dong._

_Slip past the Twoleg and enter the lairs!_

_Skittle-um, Diddle-um, Riddle-um-dares._

_Past Bearplace and Houndplace, don't give up hope!_

_Skittle-um, Diddle-um, Riddle-um-dope."_

"Bearplace? Houndplace? What are bears and hounds?" Shadowpaw mused quietly. Promisepaw and Wavepaw took their revenge and shushed her loudly.

_"Soon you will find her, but wait until night!_

_Skittle-um, Diddle-um, Riddle-um-dite._

_When silver moon shines down, howl at her cave!_

_Skittle-um, Diddle-um, Riddle-um-dave._

_Tell her your journey and what your signs are!_

_Skittle-um, Diddle-um, Riddle-um-dar._

_Listen so closely, for she won't repeat!_

_Skittle-um, Diddle-um, Riddle-um-deet._

_And now that you're with the sweet child of Moon,_

_Skittle-um, Diddle-um, Riddle-um-dune._

_Rest in safety with her, then do what you must!_

_Skittle-um, Diddle-um, Riddle-um-dust."_

Trickpaw opened his eyes and looked out at his friends. They were all staring back at him in awe. Promisepaw spoke first. "It's like a prophecy...A great, big prophecy...Trickpaw, you're a genius!"

"Oh, well, I'm not really..." Trickpaw felt his fur flush hot. He dropped his head into his chest. "It's just something my mother always did to get me and my littermates to sleep..."

"Was your mother a rogue or a Clan cat?" Sunpaw asked.

"Rogue. Her name was Kenya."

"Kenya...I like it. Nice name."

Promisepaw gazed at Trickpaw, her amber eyes shining brightly. Trickpaw had never seen such eyes with the housecats. They spoke of wild places and running in the night; of dreams and fantasies that could only be realized through taking that leap of faith. He found them charming.

And what of Promisepaw? She was slender and petite. Her white fur was sleek and well-groomed, a sweet scent that he couldn't place rolling off of her in ripples. Those three yellow paws were dainty and nimble. And her back was ginger fur the color of leaves in leaf-fall. It took all of Trickpaw's self control not to run over to her side and lick her ears lovingly.

The ginger tomcat licked his paw and swiped it over his ear once or twice. "So, any ideas?" he asked. "Got any instincts that are just burning you up?"

"Well, you look at the first two lines of it," Wavepaw ventured. "_The child of moon is not who you think. _Who do we think we're looking for?"

"Some cat who can tell us the way to save PromiseClan?" Promisepaw mewed.

"But if it's not who we think it'd be, then it's likely not a cat from the Clans. After all, we're the only ones who believe in StarClan," Sunpaw told her. "So...a rogue who believes in StarClan?"

"Unlikely," Shadowpaw grunted.

"A kittypet who does, perhaps?" Trickpaw asked.

"Even less likely," the dark apprentice replied, curling her tail over her paws.

"Let's skip that," Trickpaw meowed, "and move on to the next line. _The child of stars is not who you see._ So...perhaps we're not looking for a cat? Maybe a warrior of StarClan?"

"Oh, sure. A warrior of StarClan is going to descend from Silverpelt itself and tell us exactly what they want us to do to save PromiseClan." Shadowpaw rolled her eyes. "Yeah. You keep believing that, Trickpaw. The rest of us will try and be slightly reasonable about this."

"Keep your claws sheathed, Shadowpaw," Promisepaw protested. "It's not Trickpaw's fault he was born a rogue. We can excuse his 'ignorance' of StarClan's ways."

"_Seeking Moonchild, here's how to go..._" Sunpaw murmured. "Well, the rest sounds like directions to me. _Follow the east wind until the west moor._ How hard could it be to find an east wind and follow it?"

"Well, does an east wind start in the east and blow to the west?" Promisepaw asked. "Or does it start in the west and blow east?"

"My brain hurts!" moaned Wavepaw, wrapping his paws over his head in dismay. He shook his head. "Ugh. Let's just ask around for the nearest moor and go there!"

"Oh? And who were you planning on asking, Wavepaw? That reed over there? Maybe we could try asking the monsters on the Thunderpath." Sunpaw rolled his eyes. "We're in this on our own. No other cats are going to help us find this so-called Moonchild."

"Moonchild?" Trickpaw mewed. "Where'd you get that from?"

"_Seeking Moonchild, here's how to go._ I'm guessing the one we're ultimately trying to find is called Moonchild." The golden-striped tom looked around. "It makes sense, doesn't it? We're looking for the child of stars and _moon._ Moon, Moonchild."

"So who's the child of Stars?" Trickpaw asked. Sunpaw shrugged.

"I dunno. I say we find Moonchild first, then worry about Starchild."

Wavepaw took one paw away from his head. He looked around the group with eager green eyes. "Well, then let's get a move on!" he mewed.

"Wait until night," Shadowpaw scolder, flicking her tail up to the sky. "We should probably get to sleep now...Who knows. Maybe StarClan will show us more when we're sleeping." She stalked into their "den." Sunpaw padded after her. Trickpaw watched Wavepaw yawn and skip up behind his friends. Promisepaw stayed a little longer.

"That song," she whispered. "Trickpaw, where did your mother say it came from? Did she ever tell you any more about it than what she sang?"

Trickpaw took a deep breath. "Well...I mean, she always used to say that she got it from..." He squeezed his eyes shut tightly to block out any distractions. She had told him so very long ago...Trickpaw wasn't sure if he could remember it all. "My mother said that the song came from a wildcat she once knew. He came from an island far away...a very rainy island...Eye-something...She said he was a happy creature, always smiling and dancing and singing..." He shrugged. "I can't remember much more than that. Sorry, Promisepaw."

"It's okay." Promisepaw gave Trickpaw a friendly lick. "Let's get back to the tunnel. You can sleep by me. Unless, of course, Wavepaw's all stretched out and taking up all our space."

Trickpaw followed his friend into the impromptu den. He felt his narrow pupils expand and turn the world from dark to dimly lit. Sunpaw and Shadowpaw were curled up together on one side of the wall. Wavepaw was crouched on a lower level, his paw dangling limply in the water. Trickpaw felt a flicker of amusement. Already, the bouncy apprentice was fast asleep. He spotted Promisepaw flicking her tail for him to follow her. He flopped down next to her on a bed of soft moss. Trickpaw closed his eyes and felt her lay her head on his flank.

"Trickpaw..." she mumbled. "Do you...love me?"

Trickpaw was caught off-guard by the sudden question. Promisepaw was obviously half-asleep and saying whatever came to her mind first. He licked her ears, knowing she wouldn't remember anything he said to her now. "Yes," he whispered. "I love you more than my own mother. And some day, we will have kits together..."

"I hope so," Promisepaw murmured, smiling in her sleep. "'Cause I really like you, Trickpaw. I'm glad you joined PromiseClan."

"I am too, Promisepaw. I am too."

Trickpaw laid his head on his paws, breathing in Promisepaw's sweet scent. He knew they would never have kits together. Never. Promisepaw would be the medicine cat someday, and Trickpaw would have to find another mate. But for here and for now, Promisepaw's warm body beside his made it seem trivial. He let himself believe that they were ordinary warriors, sleeping side by side in the den. Ordinary warriors who could mate and have kits...

What a wonderful dream.


	17. Chapter 15

"Are you serious, Seedgrowth?" Riverstar asked.

"Very serious," the sandy he-cat replied calmly. "I do believe that our missing apprentices are not gone without reason. You recall the prophecy I told you Promisepaw received. _Hope, Shadows, Fire, and Water will join together and save the Promised Clan._"

"Yes. Why? Do you think they found out what it meant?"

"They must have." Seedgrowth paused thoughtfully. "In fact, I think I know what it means as well."

"What?" Sunface demanded, his tail twitching nervously.

"Tell me the names of the missing cats, Sunface."

"Promisepaw, Sunpaw, Shadowpaw, Trickpaw, and Wavepaw."

Seedgrowth nodded to Riverstar, who had a look on her furry face that suggested understanding. "Shadowpaw came from SwampClan...Sunpaw is from MeadowClan...Wavepaw is from LakeClan...Trickpaw was a kittypet...and Promisepaw is from PromiseClan." She shrugged. "Some of it makes sense."

"What Clan does Promisepaw resemble?"

"DuskClan. Radianteyes and Quartzfur both were from DuskClan," Sunface meowed. His tawny eyes grew wide. "Great StarClan! They've called cats from those four Clans...or at least cats who look like they came from there!" The ginger tom kneaded the ground of Riverstar's den excitedly.

"But what of Trickpaw? He has no Clan," Riverstar pointed out.

"He must have left because StarClan called him," Seedgrowth replied. "After all, he was the cat who gave Promisepaw the prophecy, isn't he?"

"What can we do?" Sunface asked. "We can't keep them from fulfilling StarClan's latest prophecy...but at the same time, we can't knowingly put them in danger. Shall I send out some warriors to follow them and travel with them?"

"No." Riverstar shook her head. "No. That wouldn't be right. They're together. Besides, I have a feeling that if PromiseClan really is in danger, and those apprentices are the chosen cats to save it, our warrior ancestors will protect them through it all."

"But leaf-fall is here," Sunface protested. "The equinox was today! We can't let them be alone during leaf-bare, can we? It's not right! I...we can't...it's..." He sighed and sat down, ducking his head into his chest. Riverstar laid her tail across his shoulders.

"Don't worry, my deputy," she meowed softly. "Remember, they are strong together. They have the gifts of all the Clans with them. LakeClan's claws. MeadowClan's endurance. SwampClan's senses. DuskClan's strength. PromiseClan's heart. They will not fail us."

Seedgrowth twitched his whiskers questioningly. Riverstar nodded, and the tawny cat left the small den. Outside, he sat down to watch the sun set. Riverstar was right. Every cat that had gone missing was special. Now that he thought about it, each strongly resembled their Clan ancestors. Promisepaw was strong in will and body. Wavepaw was lighthearted, but swift and fierce. Sunpaw was gangly and tall, with a leap that not many warriors could match. Shadowpaw was slender and had a firm stance.

Yes. StarClan had chosen all of its original Clans to be represented in these four apprentices. But what of Trickpaw? Had he just decided to tag along with his friends? Or did he have some deeper motive that drove him to seek out the questing apprentices? Perhaps he, too, had had a dream.

_StarClan..._ Seedgrowth prayed silently. _Guide their paws and bring them safely home to us._

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Promisepaw's father, Quartzfur, stood tall in the shadows of the warriors den. "It's not right," he growled. "They could be in real danger out there. You heard what Riverstar said: the AoDs are coming back! It's not safe for them to be out there!"

"Settle down, Quartzfur," Radianteyes mewed. "Our daughter and the others are fine. They're together, aren't they?"

"You don't know that," the tom muttered.

"She does. A queen can sense these things when it involves her kits."

It was Sleetfur who had spoken. The silver she-cat raised her head and fixed her soulful blue gaze on the anxious warrior. Her own kits, Riverpelt, Ashfire, and Nighthawk, were all seated around her. "When Riverpelt was a kit and wandered out of camp, I knew exactly where she was. When Ashfire was still an apprentice, no matter what patrol he was on, I could always sense where he was. Nighthawk, too." The senior warrior's eyes burned into Quartzfur's. "Believe Radianteyes. She is a mother."

Quartzfur sighed softly. "I don't doubt you, Sleetfur," he meowed. "But I'm a father, and if it's one thing we do, it's have no clue where our kits are and if they're safe or not."

"Trust me, Quartzfur. I know that Promisepaw, Wavepaw, Shadowpaw, Sunpaw, and Trickpaw are all together." Radianteyes dropped her head onto her paws. "I don't know where they are, but I know they're safe."

The glossy-furred tom curled up beside his mate and licked her ears. "They should never have left," he murmured. "The whole Clan is in turmoil because of it. Summerpaw can't sleep. Greatpaw is becoming short-tempered. Bearpaw can't pay attention to his mentor any more."

"It's part of having a sibling missing," Blacktip mewed. "Riverstar is my sister. When she left DuskClan, I went into the same slump. They'll get over it eventually, realize that sitting outside the camp all day won't bring her home, get back to their old schedules. Of course, they won't _stop_ worrying about Promisepaw. They'll just get over the worst of their worry." The white he-cat nodded.

"I never knew you and Riverstar were..." Quartzfur shook his head wonderingly. "Any other cats in your litter that are here with us?"

Blacktip shook his head. "No."

Quartzfur studied Blacktip. Now that he looked...the two cats did have a similar scent and build. He hadn't thought of it before, but it was fairly obvious. Blacktip purred, grinning. "Never thought of it like that before, did you?" he asked.

"No...not really..."

"Well, I don't like to talk about it." Blacktip shrugged. "I mean, some cats would think I was bragging if I told them that my own sister was Clan leader. It's not like I'm not proud of her. No...I'm very proud of Riverstar...And I'm glad she let me be mates with her best friend."

Quartzfur now understood the whole web of relationships between the older warriors. Blacktip and Riverstar were littermates. Sleetfur was Riverstar's best friend, and Riverstar had been the mediator between the two cats as apprentices, hoping to bring them close together. And, of course, that brought his mind to the alliances that had happened to the group of young warriors from DuskClan. Sunface and Radianteyes were brother and sister, and Quartzfur, Sunface's best friend, was mates with Radianteyes...

**Ruthie: This is starting to sound like some kinda cheesy soap opera, ain't it? My sincerest apologies if I have offended you at all. This is what we call a "filler" chapter, for those who didn't know. It means that Ruthie is having a bad case of writer's block, and needs to keep those who read her fanfictions satisfied while they wait for her latest block to break. x.x; Sorry. On with the filler! (Oh, and if you want, you may now skip this chapter—if there's another one to go to, at least.)**

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Summerpaw groaned and rolled over in her little nest in Seedgrowth's den. She wasn't really sick. She just wanted to be near the herbs that reminded her of Promisepaw. Their scent alone was enough to trigger her memories. The golden queen closed her green eyes. This wasn't right...Promisepaw should be here, giving her a lecture on how she shouldn't be with the medicine cat if she wasn't sick. And Sunpaw. He should be waiting for her in the den, his pale blue eyes gleaming with that warmth he reserved for her.

"I know...it's hard," Bearpaw murmured. He padded out from the brush around the hollow tree stump and slumped beside his sister. "Greatpaw isn't doing to hot either."

"Bearpaw, why?" Summerpaw mewed. "Why did she have to leave?" _And why did she have to take Sunpaw with her?_

"StarClan works in mysterious ways," the brown tom replied sullenly. "They wanted our sister to do their will, and now she's off doing what they asked of her. I ask myself the same things sometimes. Why was Promisepaw so keen on being a medicine cat? Why couldn't she have settled for being an ordinary warrior like the rest of us?"

"Greatpaw says she wants to be a queen," Summerpaw pointed out.

"That's different. Greatpaw gets to sleep in the same den as we do." Bearpaw heaved a sigh. "Look, why don't you come back to the den for the night? Greatpaw and I need you with us. We're the only ones in the den!"

"Icewind's kits will be apprenticed soon," Summerpaw mumbled.

"But they're not our littermates. Summerpaw, come on. Do I have to drive you there with my claws?"

Summerpaw stood up. "Fine. I'm coming." Before she left the den, though, she grabbed a mouthful of herbs, the sweetest smelling ones she could find. Bearpaw watched in confusion, but said nothing. Summerpaw dropped the herbs in her nest. "They smell like Promisepaw," she explained. Bearpaw nodded.

"The whole den will smell of herbs until she returns," he meowed.

Summerpaw turned around and around in her herbal, mossy nest a couple of times before flopping down. She inhaled deeply. The sweet smell of the herbs brought comfort to her troubled mind, and she fell into her first easy sleep in days.


	18. Chapter 16

The bar broke just before Daymother rose into the sky. Leader heard the metallic clank and carefully opened his jaws wider. The scratched silver bar tumbled out onto the ground. The sound awoke the whole Pack, who padded over to their Alpha. "Leader strong," No Tail murmured.

"Leader brave," Blood Fang added.

"Leader great," Follower commented, his tail swishing.

Nameless Barker pressed her muzzle into Leader's side. "Leader make strong father for pups," she barked lovingly.

"Leader free Pack!" a subordinate wolf called Shadow yipped, trying to gain favor with his Alpha. "Pack love Leader! Le-e-E—Eek!" He broke off in a startled shriek of pain as Follower clamped his fangs over Shadow's tail.

"Shadow stay shadow," the silver wolf snarled. Shadow whimpered and crawled away, tail between his legs. Yes...back to the shadows with him. That was his place. The shadows.

Leader's thick, plumy tail wagged happily with the praise of the Pack. He smiled a wolf smile. The Pack was strong and loyal. The Smallfurs would soon see the error of their ways. No one should release the Pack...that was the whole reason the Furless had locked them away. That was the whole reason so many Furless came every day to look at the Pack. They needed to know who to look for.

"Day of Pack now!" Leader barked, his head and tail high to indicate his role as supreme leader of them all. "Pack free! But Pack wait for Alliance. Pack make paw-swear with Alliance. Not break paw-swear." The whole Pack nodded. Paw-swears were a strict code of honor. To break one meant death.

The whole Pack nodded...except for Blood Fang.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

The white he-hound was furious. Keeping a sacred paw-swear with _Smallfurs?_ Smallfurs were not to swear with. They were for feeding pups! Blood Fang kept his gaze low as he scowled at his paws. Father-Leader was mad...he must be ill with the foaming-mouth sickness! A bunch of _Smallfurs!_ Leader howled encouragement for his Pack. Blood Fang joined in, though hesitantly and not with his whole heart.

Leader's son padded away from the happy group, into the darkness of the False-Den. He brushed past the shiny leaves that blocked off the entrance. Once within the False-Den, Blood Fang sat down and scratched behind his ear. A couple of sleek shapes slunk towards him.

Shadow sat in front of Blood Fang. The dark wolf whimpered. "Blood Fang angry," he observed humbly.

"Angry at Leader," Blood Fang grunted. A new shape came close enough to be identified as Bone Claw. The pale gray wolf groveled on her belly closer to Blood Fang.

"Leader wise and strong. Lead Pack to glory," she reminded him. "Leader father of Blood Fang."

"Hate Leader!" snarled Blood Fang. "Leader head growing light. Not wise any more. Make paw-swear with Smallfurs." The white hound stood up. "Leader die soon."

"Not old," a third voice barked. Blood Fang looked over to see another wolf he knew well. It was Bone Claw's litter-brother, Low Step, a wolf with brownish-red fur and oddly short legs. "How die?"

"Low Step stupid." Shadow's hackles rose. "Blood Fang kill Leader!"

Low Step pulled his lips back in a grin of fear. What they were plotting strictly went against wolf hierarchy. How could one young wolf take on his massive father? The look in his sister's and Shadow's eyes told him that perhaps Blood Fang would not be alone. He stepped forward. "Help Blood Fang," he barked.

"Help," Bone Claw added.

"Help." Shadow nodded.

Blood Fang nodded, licking his lips hungrily. He could almost taste his new leadership. Shadow, Bone Claw, and Low Step all bellied towards him, their eyes gleaming excitedly. Blood Fang took each muzzle in turn in his mouth and bit down gently on their noses. "I am Leader," was the message of his gesture. After being bitten, each wolf turned over onto their backs and flashed him their white bellies. "You are Leader," their actions proclaimed. Blood Fang's white tail wagged happily.

"Follow Blood Fang to glory," he growled, striding back and forth in front of his new followers. "Start new Pack. Let old Pack follow old Leader. New Pack follow new Leader!" The members of Blood Fang's group of rebels yipped agreement. "Old Pack called Pups of Starsire. New Pack called Pups of High Tail." The rebels nodded their agreement. High Tail was Starsire's strongest and noblest pup.

"Pups of High Tail follow Blood Fang everywhere!" Bone Claw yelped, her tail swishing softly behind her. She kept it low to avoid the tail-challenge. Blood Fang made a panting noise deep in his chest. The others looked on in amazement. The white wolf threw back his head and laughed. Slowly, hesitantly, the others imitated his action. Slowly, hesitantly, they changed their laughter to howls. In the shadows of the False-Den, the conspirators laughed and howled.

The deed was done. Leader would fall.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

"Mother...the hounds are scheming."

"I know, my child. But there is nothing we can do. Proud Leader will not listen to the simple foxes. We are below him. But courage, my child. All is not lost. I have seen it all in the eyes of the star-cats."

"The star-cats. You've been seeing them lately, Mother?"

"I have. They are sending a group of their living brethren to stop the Pack, and they are sending them to us."

"To us? Are we ready for them?"

"Yes."

The sun rose slowly into the sky, turning it lighter. As the golden disc of the sun appeared on the horizon, the air it touched reflected the hue. Dark blue shifted to a lighter shade, then finally to yellow and pink. The world slowly awoke to greet the beautiful dawn. Black claws clicked softly on the smooth, icy ground. Two creatures, one pure white, the other a milky gray, slipped out to view the daybreak. The white shape was larger and sleeker, her thick fur standing up in the chilly air. The gray shape was about half the size of the white, and her pelt was fuzzy and stuck up in tufts.

"Why do we see these star-cats, Mother?" the blue-gray creature asked curiously. The white one looked down at her.

"Because we have a connection to them. Remember your constellations, my child? The star-cats reside among those constellations. Because we spend time watching them, so they watch us."

The grayish furball nodded. "And the star-cats trust us?"

"They trust us to watch out for their living brethren. I believe they trust us very much." The white creature sighed, fluffing out her rich, snowy fur. "Although now that the hounds are free, I'm not sure if we can help them."

"Why don't we run free as well, Mother?"

"Hounds and foxes are different, Starchild," the white fox reminded her kit. "Hounds long to run with their ruffs in the wind. Foxes wish to study things closely and better survive. We can survive here just fine. We do not need change."

Starchild sighed. She ducked her head deeper into her shoulders, shivering slightly. Her mother licked behind her ears. "Come, child. The night is up. We must return to the shadows and chart the stars anew."

Starchild followed her mother back into the den. The white fox swished away dust and ice fragments from a wall of the small cavern with her thick tail. At a nod from her mother, Starchild stepped up and placed her claws on the icy wall. "Jupiter was further North, if I recall correctly," she murmured.

"It was. Mark it down."

The gray fox kit nodded and chipped away at the ice on the wall. "The humans may reset our astral charts soon," she commented as she scratched a mark for Jupiter. "But all this practice is good for me."

"I should think so, my child." The white fox, Moonchild, nodded her head seriously. "Do not forget that last rune for Jupiter's name, please. You've gotten into that habit."

"Unfortunately," muttered Starchild, scraping her claw in the last mark. She stepped back. "There. How does that look?"

"Wonderful." Moonchild wrapped her tail around her kit. "Jupiter has been moving closer to Neptune, has it not?"

"Do you think they will align soon, Mother?" Starchild asked. Moonchild shrugged.

"Perhaps. One can only wait to see."

"And the living cats. Will they make it here in time?"

"So many questions, Starchild." Moonchild ducked her head deeper into her ruff. "You must have faith in them. They will make it here. They will stop the Pack. They must." Moonchild gazed up at the roof of the den, where even more stars and planets were marked. "They must."

Starchild shuddered and curled up closer to her mother. Moonchild had been born in the wild, and had been captured and shipped at the same time as Leader and Nameless Barker. She knew the hounds well, and had been present for the birth of their first son, Blood Fang. But Leader was now refusing the fox's help.

But because of that wild birth, Moonchild knew more of the old fox ways than any other creature. She knew the importance of the stars' orbits. She knew how to calculate an eclipse. She knew how to navigate her way in the landmark-less tundra. She was a mystical animal, with more knowledge of spirits than anyone else. And she was passing it all on to Starchild.

Starchild closed her eyes and curled up in the nest her mother had made for her. She listened to her mother's claws click as the white fox left the cave. A shiver passed down the kit's spine at the sound of a high, keening wail...the cry of the Arctic fox.


	19. Chapter 17

Promisepaw awoke with a wailing cry echoing in her ears. The white she-cat yawned, blinking around confusedly at the world. Something warm was pressed up against her. She caught a glimpse of Trickpaw's golden-ginger pelt and nodded. A dream. It had only been a dream. But what a dream!

She had been padding along a stretch of hard, slick ground. Fine, white dust drifted down around her: snow. Promisepaw recalled how the world had been a chilly, wintry place, devoid of any notable landscape, when suddenly, two yellow lights began to burn in front of her. She had padded over to them, curious. Cold wind had swirled around, lifting fallen snow into the air and swiping it across her ears and muzzle.

The lights came closer as she neared them. They were eyes, and whatever they belonged to was coming her way. Promisepaw had stiffened, and the creature had appeared. A fox, a pure white fox. Promisepaw had opened her mouth to speak, but the fox had lifted its muzzle to the gray skies and howled that mournful wail.

_Young one..._

Promisepaw leapt to her paws, looking around rapidly. Nothing was there except for sleeping apprentices. She lay back down beside Trickpaw.

_Young one..._

The white queen pricked up her ears. "Who's there?" she asked. "Who's talking to me?"

_Speak with your heart...answer me..._

_How am I supposed to speak with my heart?_ Promisepaw thought curiously. She thought for a while. _I suppose if I want to speak with it enough, I will be speaking 'with my heart.'_

She closed her eyes. _Yes?_ she tried.

_Hearken to me, young one...heed my voice...Have you found the moorlands?_

_Yes...we're there. Where are you? **Who** are you?_

_My name bears no importance, young one. Listen closely. When you find Ratnest, enter with courage._

_Exactly what is the Ratnest?_

_I cannot say. I do not know. I only know that you must enter with courage._

_I will...but how are you speaking to me? Are you a warrior of StarClan?_

_I am not who you would like me to be, I'm afraid. Heed my words...and do not give up...you must save the Promised Clan..._

_Wait...how do you know that?_ Promisepaw waited on pins and needles for the answer. There was no reply. _Come back! Tell me how you know the prophecy!_ Silence greeted her words. Promisepaw sighed and lay her head back on Trickpaw's stomach, which was upturned now.

"Hey, you guys better wake up and come see this!" Sunpaw mewed from the mouth f the old badger tunnel where they had slept for the night. "This place is awesome during the day!"

"Sunpaw, go stalk a fox," Wavepaw grumbled as he rolled over onto his side, away from the young cat's voice. Sunpaw persisted.

"I'm serious! It looks just like the Windfields at the edge of MeadowClan territory."

"That's fan_tastic_, Sunpaw," Shadowpaw muttered. "But really, we're all tired, so you're not going to convince any of us to get out of our nice, warm burrows. So be a dear..."

"You're just a bunch of sticks in the mud!" Sunpaw scoffed. "Come on, there's heaps of fresh-kill waiting! I was out hunting while you were all asleep."

"Sunpaw!" Promisepaw and Trickpaw snapped.

There came a soft sigh from the mouth of the sett. "Well...maybe I should tell you the real reason why I want you guys out of the old badger burrows."

"We're waiting."

"They weren't abandoned after all. The badger came back while we were all asleep."

Promisepaw's eyes snapped wide open. She scented the air. Yes...there was badger scent...but it was stronger than before! The white she-cat jumped up and whirled to face the other end of the den. She could make out the shape of the badger, snoring peacefully. Her gaze shifted to Wavepaw and Shadowpaw, cowering together in the corner. "All right...walk as quietly as you can," she whispered shakily. "J-just try to imagine you're walking past the nursery...you don't want to wake up all those kits, do you?"

Wavepaw lifted a front paw slowly. Shadowpaw's hackles rose, and she tore past him and out of the sett. Promisepaw stepped aside to let her pass. The badger slept on. "Wavepaw, you next. Slowly, gently...you can do it."

Wavepaw gave a strangled mew of terror. In the shadows of the den, a single eye opened and glinted in the dim light. Promisepaw gulped. She took a deep breath. "PROMISECLAN!" she yowled. "RETREAT!"

Trickpaw and Wavepaw pelted out, side by side. The badger snarled and thundered after them. Promisepaw darted away as fast as her paws would carry her. Sunpaw led the group of running apprentices, his long strides carrying him effortlessly over the moor. Promisepaw chanced a glimpse over her shoulder at their pursuer. The stocky creature was hot on their paws.

"Promisepaw! I...can't...keep...this...up!" Trickpaw panted. He was lagging behind, dangerously close to the badger. Promisepaw's heart was hammering and she was gasping for breath, but down inside, she felt the endurance of DuskClan kick in. She wheeled away from the group and charged straight at the badger. The creature opened its mouth wide to take a bite of her. Promisepaw loosed her claws and struck, catching it across the roof of the mouth and knocking a fang loose in the process. Without a thought, she grabbed the fang in her mouth and ran beside Trickpaw.

The badger dropped back a pace, licking its bleeding muzzle furiously. Its small eyes narrowed angrily, and it gave a roar of rage. The huge paws pounded the ground, and at the last second, it swiped out, catching Trickpaw across the head. The tom rolled on the ground. Sunpaw gave a battle cry, and the rest of the apprentices flung themselves at the badger. The beast snarled and batted at the young cats.

Promisepaw sliced her claws at its brow. The blood dripped into the badger's eyes, blinding it. Shadowpaw wove her thin body in between its legs. The badger stumbled, and Wavepaw was on it like streak of silver, his long claws slashing and swiping. The badger stumbled to its paws and lumbered away, limping and groaning. Promisepaw panted heavily, relieved at her Clanmates' quick action. Then she remembered Trickpaw and ran to his side.

The young tom was unconscious, the side of his face bleeding profusely. Promisepaw's tail bristled fearfully. This was the first real injury she had dealt with in her whole life. The sight of it sickened her. She thought she might be sick to her stomach. Then she remembered how over a moon ago, he had joined them on the journey. _I can't let it end like this for him!_

"Sunpaw, you're a good runner. Go out and find some cobwebs. Shadowpaw, look for marigold. Wavepaw—"

"I can find water. Soak moss in it and bring it back here," the silver tom offered.

"Good. Go do that. A lot of it. And hurry, all of you. Trickpaw needs us." The three apprentices nodded and raced off to do what they could. Promisepaw started to lick Trickpaw's face clean. "Oh, Trickpaw," she mewed sadly. "I'll do what I can, but I can't guarantee anything."

Shadowpaw was the first one back. The dark gray she-cat was panting heavily as she dropped a small plant at the medicine cat apprentice's paws. Promisepaw inspected the plant. It was indeed marigold, but it seemed that Shadowpaw, not knowing which part was needed, had dug the whole thing up. There were dirty roots poking out from under the leaves. Shadowpaw slumped down in a seated position. "Got what I could. That's right, isn't it?"

"Yes. Very much. Thank you, Shadowpaw." Promisepaw used her thin claws to separate the petals from the flowers. She started to chew them into a poultice.

Sunpaw appeared next. He was hobbling slightly, but Promisepaw realized that he was trying to keep the cobwebs clean. He sat in front of the white she-cat and held out his paw. "Got you as much as I could," he meowed breathlessly. Promisepaw nodded her thanks as she peeled the webs from his foot.

Wavepaw was the last back. He had his tail wrapped around huge wads of moss, and held another clump of it in his teeth. He laid them down on Trickpaw's face and started to swab it clean. When he was finished, Promisepaw spat the chewed petals onto the claw-marks. She pressed them down and secured them with cobwebs, then heaved a sigh of relief. "Wonderful."

"So...what now?" Shadowpaw asked. Her tail twitched in an aggravated way.

"We wait," Promisepaw mewed. She laid her ear against the golden flank of Trickpaw and listened. His breathing was steady, but his heartbeat was irregular. "Comfrey," she meowed. "We need some of that."

"Does comfrey grow in these kinds of lands?" Wavepaw wondered. "I mean, not much does." He gazed out at the almost barren landscape. Promisepaw shrugged.

"Well, if we can't, then thyme would work."

"I saw a patch of poppy flowers while I was out," Sunpaw meowed. "They looked kind of dried-up to me. Want me to go back and try to get some for you?"

"Yes. Take Wavepaw with you, though. I don't want us going out alone in this land." Promisepaw watched the two toms head out. She sighed. Shadowpaw laid her tail on the white cat's shoulders.

"I know. It's hard for you."

"It's just...Trickpaw is so kind and loving. I don't think he knows we can't be in love."

"I know what you mean. And frankly, I think he does know."

Promisepaw gazed at her fellow apprentice. After a moon of growth, Shadowpaw was a slender, lithe she-cat with sleek fur. Her ribs no longer poked out from her sides, even though hunger had never been an issue. She was taller than the stocky Promisepaw, but not quite as tall as Sunpaw.

"We're changing," she mewed.

"I know. In more than one way."

Promisepaw nodded. "Like that time you saved Wavepaw from the dog?" she asked. "Back in PromiseClan, I never thought that would happen. Not that you weren't loyal to the Clan, just not loyal to Wavepaw."

"Or how about Wavepaw and Sunpaw? They never got along back in PromiseClan."

"I know. Now look at them! Best friends!"

Shadowpaw purred. "We've changed, too, Promisepaw," she meowed. "Have you taken a look at yourself lately?"

Promisepaw shook her head. She gazed down at her paws. They weren't so chubby anymore. Rather...they fit her body quite nicely. Her fur was no longer fluffy and kit-like, but sleek and glossy. She purred as well. "I guess you're right."

"Promisepaw...can you keep a secret?"

"Of course I can, Shadowpaw."

"Well...Sunpaw...Sunpaw and I like each other...a lot. He wants to have kits when we're older. I...I do too, even though I like the idea of being a hunting, fighting warrior much better than I do of being a queen stuck in the nursery surrounded by mewling kits."

"Shadowpaw, that's no secret. We all know how much you and Sunpaw like each other."

Shadowpaw sighed. "I suppose you're right. We've not been too secretive about it, have we?" Promisepaw shook her head.

"But that's okay. You two like each other a lot. You're a part of the same Clan now. You can have kits when you're warriors."

The two she-cats sat together, watching the sun climb higher into the skies. Sunpaw and Wavepaw returned about an hour later, each carrying several dead flowers. Shadowpaw purred softly and rubbed her head against Sunpaw's flank. "Sunpaw, if you wanted to bring me flowers, you should have gotten living ones," she joked. Sunpaw spat his poppies out and licked her head.

Promisepaw batted at one of the flower heads. A couple of black seeds rolled out. She sighed with relief. "Good. We'll have poppy seeds when he comes to," she murmured.

"Wow, Promisepaw, I'm impressed," Wavepaw mewed. "A cat went down and you just—_BAM_—sprang right into action like you were pouncing on a fat mouse! I think Trickpaw will be feeling better when he wakes up."

"Likely not, but at least he's not dead." Promisepaw laid her ear to his flank again. His heartbeat had evened out, but it was still rapid. "He's in shock," she reported. "There's nothing much we can do except keep him warm and pray that StarClan leaves him with us."

Every cat curled up around their friend to keep him warm. Promisepaw sighed softly and gazed up at the sky. At least Trickpaw had chosen a sheltered place to get hurt. They were underneath the branches of a lone tree, nestled up against its trunk. The white she-cat sent a prayer up to her warrior ancestors: _Keep Trickpaw safe..._


	20. Chapter 18

Shadowpaw opened a tawny eye slowly. It was dark now. She stood up slowly. There was a warmth that was missing from her right flank. Sunpaw was gone...again. The dark queen peered into the darkness that surrounded her. She sought a flicker of his ginger pelt, or a glint of his light eyes. His scent was fresh; he couldn't have gone far. "Sunpaw?" she whispered into the night. "Sunpaw, where are you?"

"Here."

Shadowpaw turned to see the tomcat behind her. She purred, butting him with her head. "Don't scare me like that," she murmured. She could feel a soothing vibration spread through her mind as Sunpaw purred.

"Don't worry about me," he meowed. His voice had changed over the last moon, dropping a pitch or so. Shadowpaw loved it. "I'll never leave you, Shadowpaw." He licked behind her ears. "I love you."

Shadowpaw purred, letting the hum fill her body. Her tail rose and stroked behind his ears tenderly. Sunpaw let his tail run across her flanks. The two lay down on a nearby rock. Shadowpaw folded her paws across Sunpaw's back and laid her head on them. Sunpaw gave a happy sigh. "I love you, too, Sunpaw," whispered Shadowpaw. "And perhaps...I should open up my heart more..."

"What do you mean, Shadowpaw?"

"I've never told any cat but Riverstar why I left SwampClan. I think it's time you found out...why I never trusted any cat."

Perhaps she sounded hesitant: Sunpaw's next words were, "If you wish to tell me, then tell me. But if you think it is something that should wait, it will wait."

Shadowpaw took a deep breath and began...

**And now we switch to a series of flashbacks, as indicated by the italics. Note that each time you see the divider, that is a different flashback. When we get back to the story at paw, the italics will be gone. Thank you, and enjoy the show. (grabs a bowl of popcorn and a Tigerstar plushie)**

_"Try again, Shadowpaw," Jetstar urged me. I nodded and lunged at him once more. He easily swept me aside, almost as if I were a feather. _

_"I can't, Jetstar," I mewed. "You're too good for me."_

_"No cat is too good for you, Shadowpaw. You are the best apprentice any cat could hope for." I felt a glow of pride. "But all that greatness is locked inside your body, and training is the key to unlocking it. Now, once more."_

_"Actually, Jetstar, can I ask you something?"_

_"What is it, Shadowpaw?"_

_I snuggled closer to him. "I'm worried. Thornheart, your own deputy, seems to be hiding something." Jetstar looked confused, but didn't interrupt me. "She is always talking about how Bugwing came back and still won't be able to stop her..."_

_"Thornheart is not only my deputy, but my daughter. Why do you say this about her?"_

_"Jetstar, she has been saying this over and over. Something involving Toadspot, Swanwing, Sixclaw, Littlefoot, and Grasseyes..."_

_"Sixclaw is my daughter as well."_

_"I fear that cats may be hurt."_

_Jetstar licked behind my ears. "Shadowpaw, Shadowpaw, Shadowpaw," he chided. "Thornheart has a few memory problems. She thinks that those cats are still her enemies. They didn't get along well as apprentices, but now they are friends."_

_I still wasn't convinced. "Jetstar, I'm worried that someday Thornheart might snap and hurt some cat."_

_"You needn't worry about that. Now, back to training. I'll have a word with Thornheart tonight."_

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

_We were training again. A half-moon had passed since that training session. Jetstar and I were patrolling with Thornheart. There was something in Thornheart's gaze that made me nervous, but I kept my fears to myself. We were far from the SwampClan camp, and no other patrols were out so far._

_We walked past Rockplace, when suddenly Thornheart stopped us. "Father," she meowed, "if I died before you, what would you say as your last words to me?"_

_"What would I say?" Jetstar thought about this for a while. Finally, he said, "Well, if you were dying of a sickness, I'd say 'StarClan guide your paws.' If you were dying of a battle wound, I'd probably say 'Rest in peace, noble warrior. You've served your Clan well.'" He looked confused. "Why would you ask me that?"_

_Thornheart shoved me into a huge tangle of brambles and leapt on top of Jetstar. She dug her fangs into his neck and tore his throat out. I watched in horror as he died and came back. "Thorn—" he began, but Thornheart cut him off._

_"Rest in peace, noble warrior," she spat. "You've served your Clan well." She tore his throat another time, and Jetstar didn't come back. Thornheart grinned._

_I tried to struggle free, but I was stuck. The next thing I knew, Thornheart was behind me. She swiped at me with her paw and knocked me out._

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

_I woke up feeling sore and cold...When I tried to get up, something pushed me back down. I looked up to see Wildheart, a senior warrior, standing over me. Her eyes were cold. "Stay where you are, murderer," she growled angrily. I had no idea what she was talking about until I saw Jetstar's body lying a few fox-lengths away._

_"You think **I** killed Jetstar?" I yowled._

_"His blood was all around your muzzle and between your claws," Wildheart replied. "Thornheart said you were all over him, slashing and biting." She grabbed me by the scruff and hauled me over to the body._

_Jetstar was indeed covered with scratches made by tiny claws. I looked at my own claws. They were a rusty crimson color, and clumps of black fur were between them. I swiped my tongue around my muzzle. Blood. I tasted blood. Thornheart was crouched at Jetstar's body, wailing and yowling shamelessly. I growled._

_"How could a young apprentice kill a grown cat?" I demanded, writing angrily._

_"If they didn't stop attacking him, it's possible," Wildheart snarled back. "How **could** you, Shadowpaw? Jetstar never did anything to you to make him deserve this!"_

_"And I didn't bring it on him! It was Thornheart! Thornheart did it! THORNHEART KILLED JETSTAR!" I yowled as loudly as I could. "THORNHEART KILLED JETSTAR! THORNHEART KILLED JETSTAR! THORNHEART KILLED JET—!"_

_Wildheart dropped me on the hard ground to silence me. "That's enough out of you!" she spat. Thornheart pounced on the ground, landing barely a mouselength away from me. _

_"You murdering piece of foxdung!" she snapped. "You killed my father! Jetstar! Jetstar!" She moaned and wailed until my ears rang. Wildheart pressed up against her. "You...vile runt! Murdering fox kit!" Thornheart swiped her claws at me. The strike hit my ear and tore it. "I'll run you out of Clan territory. Death's too good for the likes of you!"_

_"I'll run myself out!" I retorted, and pelted out of there. There were angry yowls behind me, but when I looked, no cat was chasing me. They were all just standing around and caterwauling to wake PlagueClan. I just kept running. SwampClan was no place for me any longer._

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

_That's when I found PromiseClan. I just kept running until I was there. Riverstar found me and took me in. She told me that there were plenty of warriors who would be more than willing to take my under their paw and show me around. She never asked me for my past. I gave it to her myself. I spent so many moons, not quite fitting in until..._

"Until I came along," Sunpaw murmured. Shadowpaw nodded. "Glad I could help you." He rubbed his head against hers. "Wow. Shadowpaw...I never knew...everything you went through. Betrayal...cast from your own Clan...being blamed for your own mentor's death...It's too much for any cat to bear." He licked her ear, tongue running over the deep vee-shaped nick in the soft cartilage.

Shadowpaw sighed. "Well, it's over now. I've found a Clan that I can belong to. A Clan far away from Thornheart and her madness."

"I heard a rumor that she was driven out, though," Sunpaw murmured. Shadowpaw's ears pricked up. "By Sixclaw and Breezepaw."

"But _she_ drove _them_ out because she caught them trying to have kits. Apparently Sixclaw thought Breezepaw was her lost love Bugwing, and Breezepaw used that to..well...you know."

"Well, that's what I heard, but who am I to say what's what." Sunpaw stretched his front legs, yawning. "I think we should head back to the others." Shadowpaw nodded, and the pair padded back to the warm huddle at the base of the tree. Promisepaw sat up as they approached.

"We were wondering where you two went," she meowed calmly. Her eyes glinted with friendship. Shadowpaw felt welcomed by the she-cat's gaze. "As long as you're up, why don't you two go off on a little bit of a hunt? Trickpaw's awake now, and we could all use a bit of fresh-kill."

Shadowpaw couldn't help a purr. She looked over at Sunpaw. The tom's pelt glowed in the silver moonlight. His lean muscles flexed under that radiant fur...Shadowpaw felt a wave of pride. He was hers, she was his...they belonged to each other. Once they returned to save PromiseClan and received their warrior names, they could have kits...the ultimate bond between tom and queen.

"Let's go, Shadowpaw," the big he-cat meowed. Shadowpaw nodded and ran alongside him. As they ran across the shadowy landscape, Shadowpaw wondered what they looked like from above: what the owls and other night birds saw of them. She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.

_Shadow and Light...twisting, twining, unified under the moon. We fly across the moors like on winged paws...in the sight of StarClan...we run..._


	21. Chapter 19

**I'm sorry if the ooey gooey-ness of the last chapter affected some of your stomachs. (snugs her Tigerstar plushie) Anyways, I'll make this one nice and actiony for you. There. Happy? Maybe next time you'll think twice before you read a fic with the genre Action/Adventure/Romance, eh:P**

Wavepaw gave his pelt a couple of quick licks. "Glad to see you moving around, Trickpaw," he murmured. "You had all of us scared for a while there. Maybe next time you'll be more careful."

"Trickpaw, knock it off!" Shadowpaw growled, giving him a nudge with her shoulder to silence him. Wavepaw couldn't help a grin. At the beginning of their journey, Shadowpaw would have tried slamming him into something. Now she just brushed into him. They had all changed, all of them.

No longer did they bicker to the point of a catfight. Their arguments were playful and rarely had to be mediated by Promisepaw. Wavepaw got along with Shadowpaw, who got along with Trickpaw, who got along with every other cat. They were friends, united under one sole intent: to save their Clan.

The silver tomcat gave Shadowpaw a playful nip. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," he mewed. "Go nuzzle a badger!" He stuck his tongue out at her.

"You two stop talking. I feel like there's monsters growling around inside my head."

Wavepaw looked guiltily at Shadowpaw. The dark cat shrugged and padded away. Wavepaw turned his green gaze to Trickpaw, who had spoken. He couldn't help a flinch. Trickpaw's face had healed as well as it could, leaving him with four scars across the side of his head and a badly ripped ear. "Ask Promisepaw for something," he suggested. "She's been out gathering enough herbs to heal an entire forest of greencough."

"Oh hardly." Promisepaw appeared from behind Wavepaw. "Just enough to get us through the journey."

"Which would be enough for a whole forest..." Wavepaw continued under his breath. Promisepaw's ears twitched. She'd heard him.

"Only two Clans."

"Which can be a forest in some cases..."

"Forests always have four Clans."

"Not unless they join together..."

"StarClan forbid!"

"On the contrary, I've heard—"

"Wavepaw?"

"Yes, Promisepaw?"

Promisepaw struck him upside the head with her tail. Wavepaw staggered playfully away from her, rolling his eyes comically. He sat down to watch the group's "medicine cat" attend to her "patient." There was no denying the affection in their eyes. They were more than just friends. But Promisepaw was going to be the medicine cat after Seedgrowth. She couldn't...Wavepaw sighed softly and padded off to hunt.

There was a strong scent of rabbits everywhere here. Wavepaw pulled a face. He was way out of his element in these lands. _No streams, no brooks, no lakes...this place is awful. The most water I could find was a puddle last night. I can't fish here! I don't belong here._ He sighed. _Knew the job was dangerous when I took it._

The silver tomcat followed a fresh rabbit trail, leading to a pile of rabbit dirt. He wrinkled his nose in disgust, but kept going. The rabbit was somewhere nearby, and he was going to find it.

The tall grasses rippled around him, bringing back memories of Midnightsky Lake. Wavepaw heaved a soft sigh. _But that's over...I belong to PromiseClan now._ He shrugged his shoulders as if the weight of his memories were weighing them down. Then the thick scent of rabbit drifted anew over his scent glands, and his stomach growled hungrily. He winced. _Ugh...Just what Owlfur always told me: Eyes on the prize and nose on the prey. I have no attention span..._

Wavepaw stalked carefully through the grass, straining to keep his eyes and nose trained on the little traces of rabbit. He stiffened, ears pricking and turning into the wind. There it was: the unmistakable noise of the timid lapin gnawing away at something. Wavepaw streaked out, tackling the rabbit to the ground before it could blink. There was a high-pitched squeal, then silence. Wavepaw stumbled back to his Clanmates, the rabbit's body in his jaws.

Promisepaw purred when she saw the catch. She twitched her tail to where Shadowpaw and Sunpaw sat beside a small mountain of fresh-kill. Wavepaw's jaw dropped, and the small rabbit tumbled out onto the ground. "And I'm supposed to compete with _that?"_ he mewed in disbelief. "No fair! They were together! I had to do this all on my own!" He laid a paw on top of the rabbit. "Fine. You guys don't appreciate me, do you?" He stalked away, tail erect.

"Oh come on and have some fresh-kill, you stupid furball," purred Shadowpaw. Wavepaw staggered as a vole collided with the back of his head. The silver tom turned around indignantly.

"There was no need for that," he retorted, hooking the vole with a claw and lobbing it back at Shadowpaw. The dark queen caught it in her jaws neatly. Sunpaw purred.

"Where would we be without you, Wavepaw?" Trickpaw rasped softly, shaking his head. Wavepaw let his tongue pass over the uninjured part of the tom's face. His tail swayed lightly behind him. He winked.

"You'd be very bored." Amused purrs broke out from every cat. Wavepaw couldn't help joining in. These were his friends, his fellow apprentice, his confidantes...his audience. He actually belonged with them. The silver tom lifted his muzzle to the wind and sniffed hard.

"Everything okay, Wavepaw?" Promisepaw asked. Wavepaw twitched his ears for silence. He could have sworn...There had to be...

"Trickpaw...what exactly did you say StarClan smelled of?" he asked. The ginger tom tilted his head to one side questioningly. "You _did_ say you'd smelled them before...I remember it was one night in the den. Do you remember?"

"It's a scent you'd never forget in your life...like the coldest winds and snow of leaf-bare...like the empty depths of the star realms...and like cat: the most basic scent of cat you could imagine..." Trickpaw shivered. "Why?"

Wavepaw dashed off through the grass. "Because that's exactly what I'm smelling right now," he hissed. "Come on!" He heard pawsteps behind him and measured the beats. Every one of the cats, including Trickpaw, was following him. He pushed forwards, ignoring the hungry claws in his belly. "Does any other cat smell what I do?" he asked as he raced along.

"I'm picking it up, too," Shadowpaw murmured.

"Yeah...kinda creepy, huh? The scent, I mean," Trickpaw added.

"I've smelled it before," Promisepaw mewed.

"Really? This is new for me," he heard Sunpaw meow. Wavepaw pressed onward. He was excited now. _StarClan!_

A headwind cleared the thick scent of rabbit from his nose, making it all the easier to track down his warrior ancestors' unique aroma. But something was wrong. No longer could Wavepaw trace the intriguing smell. Instead, his was assaulted with the harsh stench of rats. He skidded to a halt, panting hard.

"I don't see anything that looks remotely like StarClan," he heard Promisepaw mew behind him. "All I see is—"

"Rats! Oh great StarClan we're all gonna die!" Trickpaw cowered behind his female companion. Promisepaw snorted.

"Relax, Trickpaw. They're...too busy to...notice us..." Her voice trailed off as she, too, realized that the rats were not behaving ordinarily. Wavepaw heard a muffled hiss from Shadowpaw.

"Don't eat those rats, any cat. They'll give you the sickness."

Every cat turned to stare at the former SwampClan apprentice. "You...er, eat rats often, Shadowpaw?" Trickpaw mewed. Shadowpaw tossed her sleek head.

"Please! Only when prey is scarce. And toads." Her amber eyes glinted. "Oh, come on, you guys. They're not all that foul once you've tried them a few times."

Wavepaw turned back to the spectacle in the little valley below him. "You keep that hope up, Shadowpaw," he muttered grimly. "The rest of us will be trying to figure out what to do with all these rats."

_"You may find the Ratnest, but that's the right way!"_ Sunpaw breathed. "Trickpaw's song! This must be the Ratnest in the song!" He purred.

"What's the next line? What? What?" Wavepaw found himself prancing around Sunpaw like an annoying kit. He saw the ginger warrior's eyes narrow and kept up his little dance. He could hear amused purrs around him. Sunpaw batted the silver cat away with one swipe of his huge paws.

_"You may enter the barn, but only for mice,"_ Sunpaw recited. "I have the whole thing memorized. It's right here," he tapped his head with his tail, "snuggled up next to Dogbark's cryptic advice—which I swear I'll make sense of someday." He looked up. "So, where's this barn we're looking for?"

"I think the rats might know," Shadowpaw mused. "Although how you'll ask them is beyond me." She twitched her tail. Wavepaw was reminded strongly of a water-adder, a poisonous snake that sometimes was found swimming in Midnightsky Lake. He shrugged. Sometimes, he wondered if Shadowpaw _was_ a water-adder, disguised as a cat. She certainly had the temper.

"If you ask my opinion—Trickpaw stay well away from those rats—I think we should try it. You're like a kit! Stay put!" Promisepaw slammed her paw down on Trickpaw's tail, trapping him there. "As I was saying, the song is not very specific about how to find the barn: no direction, no instructions, no nothing."

"Correct grammar: no _anything._"

"Wavepaw, do I have to beat you upside the head?" Wavepaw shook his head rapidly. "Good. I didn't think so. Anyway—_stop_ it, Trickpaw—we should—"

"Promisepaw! You may want to check up on those rats..." Trickpaw gulped. Wavepaw whirled around.

The rats were not acting like rats should. Rats were supposed to squeak and scurry and run away from cats. Up until Trickpaw alerted them to the danger at paw, the rats had been writing on the ground and hissing like snakes. Now they were all up on their spindly paws, fangs glinting in the low light. Wavepaw spat on the ground at his paws. This was going to be interesting.

"RUN!" yowled Promisepaw, streaking away from the scene like white lightning. Wavepaw and the others hastened to obey. They ran as one unit, ducking and weaving to keep together. Wavepaw cast a glance over his shoulder. The rats were still running after them. His tail bristled fearfully.

"Let's MOVE!" he cried, pulling up to race beside Sunpaw. His green eyes were wide with terror. "The sooner we get away from the rats, the better!"

"The problem is that—if they—have—the sickness," Shadowpaw panted, "—then they—won't—stop—running—until—they—die!"

"We have to keep going!" Promisepaw meowed loudly. "We can't afford to get hurt now! We're so close! We can't let our Clan down!" She gave Trickpaw's face a gentle lick. His scratches from the badger had come open from running, and blood trickled down his furry face. Wavepaw cursed his rotten luck. This was not going to turn out well.

"Wait, you guys! I see something!" Sunpaw yowled. "Up ahead, over the next rise! It looks like...a barn!"

"What's—a barn,—exactly?" Shadowpaw asked.

"They're Twoleg nests, but they're used to house horses and the occasional monster," Sunpaw replied. "A horse is a big...well, they're this sort of..." He shook his head. "Maybe you'll get to see one. Twolegs ride on their backs."

Wavepaw strained his eyes until he, too, could make out the dim outline of some building on the horizon. But it looked so far away...he could hear Shadowpaw's ragged panting and smell Trickpaw's blood. _Can we make it?_ he wondered.

"The rats are still chasing!" Trickpaw reported with a swift glance behind him. Wavepaw moaned.

"Well, if we're gonna die now, I guess I should come clean," he mewed. "Shadowpaw, I really, really—"

He broke off as he tripped over something. A mouse. The gray creature gave a squeal and zipped away. The silver apprentice shook his head. That was _one_ piece of fresh-kill he wouldn't have let slip past him under normal circumstances. He shoved himself back onto his paws and kept running, ignoring the throb in his muzzle. "Wavepaw, look out!" Shadowpaw shrieked. Wavepaw let out a caterwaul as something chomped down hard on his tail-tip. But pain was nothing to him now. He ran, legs a blur of motion.

The barn was coming into focus rapidly now. Wavepaw could see a stack of hay bales that led up to a small window. He purred. "The window!" he shouted. "Get up to the window and climb up something!"

The distance to the barn was one that Wavepaw would have raced another cat in a playful act. But with the threat of the diseased rats and the pain in his snout and tail, it was the journey of many moons. By the time he reached the structure, his was in sheer agony and ready to collapse. But something kept him going, some internal flame burned in his heart. The silver tom pounded up the hay bales and streaked through the window. He sunk his claw into the wood of a large loft and waited.

Promisepaw landed neatly on the ledge. Trickpaw thudded down beside her in a confused heap of paws and tail. Shadowpaw and Sunpaw leapt at the same time and made identical landings. The ginger tom bent down and snapped something from Wavepaw's tail. The tired he-cat looked up blearily and saw a young rat dangling from his jaws. "Ugh. Thanks, buddy."

"Sure thing." Sunpaw tossed the rat deftly out the small window. "Well, here we are. And do I wish we were back on the moor. We left all that fresh-kill behind! Now the foxes and scavengers will get it all!" He moaned and buried his nose in his chest fur. Shadowpaw swiped her tongue over his ear.

"Lighten up, Sunpaw," she soothed in a tone of voice that Wavepaw would have expected from Promisepaw. "It was either the prey that's fresh-kill, or it was us. Which would you rather?"

"Whichever option gave me a full belly!" Sunpaw flopped down on his side and moaned again. _Who died and made him leader of DramaClan?_ Wavepaw wondered tiredly. _Heh. DramaClan. I should tell some cat that one. DramaClan. Wonder what its leader's name would be. Something like Tragedystar. DramaClan. Tragedystar. _His stuck his tongue out. _I must be sick. What am I **thinking**, for StarClan's sake?_

"Let me look at your tail, Wavepaw," Promisepaw ordered. "We can't risk any infection. Ohh! I left all those herbs with the fresh-kill! Now I don't have anything!"

"We can help you..."

Promisepaw turned, tail twitching curiously. "Who's there?" she asked.

"Only us..."

"...Who are you?" Promisepaw was clearly getting nervous.

"We are who we are..."

"And who is that?"

Something long and brown slithered out from a knothole in the wall. Wavepaw blinked curiously. Odd...what a funny-looking kitten. Such a long body...little dark eyes...fluffy tail...that wedge-shaped head...Curious...

"We are who we are," the strange creature hissed. "And we are Stone-Moss-Yis."

"Stone...Moss..." Wavepaw sighed dreamily and let the dark tide of sleep crash over his mind, the ebb and flow soothing away all his pain.


	22. Chapter 20

"Stone...Moss..." Sunpaw gave his head a shake, bewildered by this creature's strange name. "Stone-Moss..."

"Yis," the animal finished, nodding rapidly. It swirled around in a streak of brown, coming to rest wrapped around Shadowpaw's paws. The dark she-cat growled and flicked it away.

"Is this your barn?" Promisepaw asked. Sunpaw noticed how she didn't bother trying to pronounce the creature's name.

"Yis. The barn is ours." Stone-Moss-Yis seemed to think carefully. "But you may stay. For mice."

_"You may enter the barn, but only for mice!"_ Sunpaw hissed. "Well, do you eat mice, er, Stone-Moss-Yes?"

"Yis! _Yis!_" it snapped. "Yis. We eat them. They taste pleasant to us. Ooh-hoo-hoo!" It broke out into little cackles. Sunpaw blinked hard at it. Something about this mysterious animal...

"You're a weasel!" Shadowpaw mewed suddenly. Stone-Moss-Yis nodded rapidly, its dark eyes gleaming.

"A she-weasel or a he-weasel?" Trickpaw asked. Stone-Moss-Yis giggled.

"We'll never tell such nosy kitties!" it squealed. "Not for all the mice in the moorlands. Yee-hee-hee!"

Sunpaw cast Wavepaw a nervous glance. The tom's eyes were closed blissfully. He was asleep. Sunpaw envied him."Listen, we need your help. We've been chased by rats and—"

"Rats go. Never come here. Only weasel knows how, yis." The weasel winked. "Take our scent when you hunt. Rats leave you alone." It brushed up against every cat standing. "Go now. Bring us lots of little mousies!"

Sunpaw winced, the harsh reek of weasel stinging his nostrils. They were foul-smelling creatures, and Stone-Moss-Yis was no exception. The ginger tom sighed. "Well, I guess that's it. Trickpaw, you stay here with Wavepaw. Shadowpaw and I will hunt for...the weasel. Promisepaw can look for herbs to help Trickpaw and Wavepaw."

"I'd feel much safer with an escort," Promisepaw murmured softly. Her gaze was fixed on the floor.

"Fine. Shadowpaw, will you help Promisepaw?"

"But then you'd be all by yourself!" Shadowpaw protested.

"I'll go with Promisepaw," Trickpaw offered.

"But that would leave Wavepaw alone with...the weasel."

_"Stone...Moss...Yis!"_ the weasel grated angrily.

Wavepaw purred softly and made lazy swimming motions with his front paws. Sunpaw flinched slightly. Nothing was going right today. "Anyways, that's not something I want to do. StarClan put us on this journey together, and we'll stay together."

"On second thought, I'll go alone," Promisepaw mewed. "I mean, it's not like the rats won't smell...Stone-Moss...the weasel's scent on me."

"We will go with you, white kitty," Stone-Moss-Yis sibilated sweetly. "We know much about the healing of others...we learned it all ourselves."

The look on Promisepaw's face clearly said she'd rather go by herself than in the company of this weasel, but she gave in. "Fine. You can come and show me what I can find."

"All right. Trickpaw, stay with Wavepaw. Promisepaw, you and..." Sunpaw coughed to cover up the creature's awkward name. "...go look for herbs. Shadowpaw, we'll hunt for..." He coughed again. "Sorry. I think this hay's getting to me. Allergies."

The teams decided, the groups split up. Sunpaw gave Shadowpaw's ears a friendly lick and bolted out the window. He just barely heard the weasel trying to convince Promisepaw to slip through a knothole the size of an acorn. "Tricksy little beast, isn't he?" he murmured.

"It," Shadowpaw meowed. "It won't tell us its gender, and there's no telling by its voice. It's an it. And, yes. All weasels are like that."

"How did you know that's what...it was?"

"Its name is Stone-Moss-Yis. Think Rock, Plant, Yes. It's a weasel name, I suppose. Such things might not translate well into cat. Anyways, there are always a few weasels here and there along the SwampClan-DuskClan borderline. I've just never heard one speak before."

Sunpaw was amazed. "I've never seen anything like that before in my life. I though it was some sort of deformed kit."

"It has that blunt muzzle, I know," Shadowpaw replied. She shook her head to clear the weasel-scent from her nose. "Those things smell absolutely horrible, don't they? I have a feeling we'll scare badgers and foxes away smelling like this!"

Sunpaw let out a _mrrow_ of laughter escape him. It was nice to be with Shadowpaw. He knew there was no more hiding it from the other cats he traveled with. He was deeply in love with her, and she with him. But there was a flicker in the back of his mind...a flash of gold.

Summerpaw!

The ginger tom felt his whiskers give a shameful swish, like windblown grasses in the fields. It was odd. Back in PromiseClan, the introverted, prickly Shadowpaw had never really appealed to him. He had gone out for the boisterous, friendly Summerpaw. He recalled the days when Trickpaw was still very new to the Clan...his jealous, guarding feelings for Summerpaw...Things had changed.

Shadowpaw!

Sunpaw felt a purr bubble up inside him and gulped it down quickly. He gazed lovingly at the near-black queen. Only after setting out had he noticed just how truly enchanting she was. Her calm, quiet air intrigued him greatly. Summerpaw seemed loud and annoying in comparison. Shadowpaw. Summerpaw.

Summerpaw!

She had some amount of affection for him, he knew. Possibly more than that. He was the same age as she was. Summerpaw would be old enough to start wrapping up her training. He could picture her now: that gleaming golden pelt, those snow white paws, those vivid green orbs. They paled in comparison to Shadowpaw.

Shadowpaw!

Sunpaw shook his head firmly. He was thinking too much about she-cats again! How he longed for the good old days: the days when he believed that all she-apprentices had some strange virus, and if they touched their nose to yours, you'd get the virus, turn blue, and die. But those days were over now. She-cats were no longer harbingers of that strange sickness, but beautiful creatures to be admired.

"You're awfully quiet, Sunpaw," Shadowpaw's mellow voice murmured.

"Just thinking about home," Sunpaw replied, which was partly the truth. "The cats we left behind."

"I know what you mean." Shadowpaw lifted her slim muzzle into the air and breathed in.

"You can't smell anything over the scent of weasel," Sunpaw complained.

"You can't. _I_ can. You forget how sharp SwampClan cats' noses are." Shadowpaw nuzzled him fondly. "There's plenty of mice-scent around here. I'll get what I can. You just sit tight." She paused, then swiped her tongue over his ear. "Maybe a good wash will help you feel better." Her amber eyes glinted. "And whoever you choose, remember that you can always have friends."

She turned and bounded away before Sunpaw could ask her what she meant. The he-cat shuddered as a chill wind rippled the grass and parted his fur. He licked a paw and drew it over his other ear several times. _Did she know I was thinking about Summerpaw? How could she have? _His icy blue eyes were wide. _How could I possibly choose between them? Summerpaw was always there for me...but Shadowpaw is so enchanting._

Sunpaw allowed himself a pleasant stretch and set to work washing up. He was in the middle of his tail when the grass rustled softly. Shadowpaw appeared, holding several mice by their tails in her mouth. She purred and dropped them at his paws. "Look at these!" she mewed. "Think Stone-Moss-Yis will let us stay with him?"

"For the rest of our lives!" Sunpaw rubbed his head against hers. He was starting to get used to the smell of weasel that clung to his pelt, and could smell the heavy scent of rabbits around him. "Although, I think we should probably grab some prey for the rest of us."

Shadowpaw nodded, twitching her tail to a slight dip in the landscape. Sunpaw raised himself up to his full height and peered over the grass. A rabbit sat grazing in the twilight air. It was fairly thin, but big enough to feed at least two cats. He slipped into an easy, relaxed crouch. It gave him better control of his long limbs than the others' stiff crouches. He slipped through the long grass towards his quarry. Briefly, he wondered if the rabbit would smell the scent of weasel on his fur. But the rabbit, it seemed, was too hungry to care about oncoming predators. Sunpaw swallowed a purr. This would be easy! He stalked his prey carefully, staying far downwind.

Suddenly, an unearthly shriek rent the air. Sunpaw jerked his head up. _Owl!_ The brown-barred raptor swooped down and snagged the rabbit in its talons. Sunpaw howled in outrage and flung himself at the bird of prey. The owl, caught off-guard by this sudden attack, loosed the rabbit's body and swiped at Sunpaw. The lean tomcat reached up and swatted at its face with outstretched claws. The owl squalled again and Sunpaw returned the yowl. He was not in the mood to be toyed with.

"Sunpaw! Get down!"

Sunpaw looked down in shock. The owl had caught an updraft—like hawks often did back in MeadowClan territory—and was shooting upwards at a rapid speed. The ginger apprentice gave a startled cry and released the owl. "Look out, Shadowpaw!" he screeched as he fell.

Luckily, a pile of upturned dirt was there to cushion his fall. Sunpaw sat up, shaking his head dizzily. Shadowpaw thrust her face into his. "What were you _thinking,_ you stupid furball?" she spat. "You could have been killed! Killed!"

"Sorry, Shadowpaw. It's just...the owl..."

"The owl can keep the rabbit. There's plenty more here." Shadowpaw sighed. "Stop taking stupid risks, Sunpaw. I don't want to lose you."

Sunpaw buried his muzzle in her fur. "You won't. I've seen warriors take on hawks before. I thought an owl wouldn't be so different."

"Well..." Sunpaw was relieved to hear a faint purr in her voice. "...if you'd held on for a little longer, we'd probably be eating richly tonight."

Sunpaw swiped earth over the mice and rabbit. "Let's see what else we can find before we head back to the barn for the night." As he and Shadowpaw were walking away from the pile of dirt, Sunpaw realized something. "Wait a minute! We were just up all day long, and now we're going to sleep at night!"

"Crazy things happen when you're in love," Shadowpaw murmured. And Sunpaw didn't have the heart to tell her that was completely unrelated.


	23. Chapter 21

Promisepaw sighed and shook her head slowly. Stone-Moss-Yis scampered beside her like a hyperactive kit, occasionally ducking between her legs and weaving around her paws. The weasel giggled madly; Promisepaw wondered if it really was mad. "You know what we seek, yis?" it asked.

"Cobwebs, marigold, wild garlic, poppy seeds, and thyme," Promisepaw repeated. "Cobwebs to stop bleeding, marigold for infection, wild garlic to draw out the rat poison, poppy seeds and thyme to help us get to sleep."

Stone-Moss-Yis flicked its fluffy tail towards a clump of bracken. Its eyes glinted merrily. "We think you'll find what you seek in there," it informed her. Promisepaw gave the weasel a skeptical glance.

"Really now?" she asked dryly. Stone-Moss-Yis nodded rapidly.

"Yis. Trust us. We've protected you so far, haven't we?"

"Why do you speak of a 'we,' friend?"

Stone-Moss-Yis giggled. "Because we are neither she nor he. We are us."

Promisepaw shook her head as if she were scolding a naughty kit. Stone-Moss-Yis used its dainty paws to push aside the worst of the thorns. Promisepaw lowered herself onto her belly and slipped through, cursing softly as thorns snagged her ears and pelt. The sight that met her eyes was incredible.

The bramble wall hid a long, narrow ravine. Promisepaw gasped in awe. Laid out neatly below her was a quaint Twolegplace. Stone-Moss-Yis was sitting on her back before she knew it. "Kitty go down into nest of Giants. Get what need." It nodded. "We will go with you. Down, kitty!"

"I am no one's kitty!" growled Promisepaw, but she crept through the breach in the wall and started down the ravine carefully.

About two tail-lengths down, though, Stone-Moss-Yis got impatient. It gave her tail a sharp nip, squealing, "Slide, kitty!"

Promisepaw felt her paws slide out form under her as she slid down the ravine on her back. Stone-Moss-Yis made itself comfortable on her soft belly, squealing as if this was the most fun it had ever had. The white queen felt a yowl build up in her throat and let it out, long and loud. Her amber eyes grew wide. This was..._fun!_

The wind wailed in her ears, mingled with her shouts as well as the weasel's. Brown of brambles and bare branches swirled in the corner of her eyes, mixed up with reds and oranges from the fallen leaves. She let out a long howl of pure exhilaration as the colors, scents, and sounds blurred into one living adrenaline rush.

And then...it was over. As soon as it had begun, the wild ride was finished. Promisepaw sat up, shaking her head vigorously to clear the thrill from her mind. Stone-Moss-Yis tumbled down beside her. "Fun, yis?" it asked mischievously. Promisepaw purred.

"Incredible," she mewed.

"Kitty needs to learn to trust us. We know what's good for kitty." It darted back and forth in front of Promisepaw, tail flicking a thousand times a heartbeat. "Follow us. We will help you." Promisepaw nodded and started after the weasel. Stone-Moss-Yis stopped in front of a Twoleg structure that looked like a bridge, only much, much bigger. It twirled its tail in the joints between posts and showed Promisepaw a tail swathed in web. "We will help you," it repeated.

"Thanks. Hold onto that for me." Promisepaw padded across to the Twoleg's garden, sniffing to check for the needed herbs. She picked out the tang of marigold instantly and spotted its bright flowers. The white she-cat bent her head and snipped off a few of the flower heads, as well as a couple of leaves.

Stone-Moss-Yis appeared with a Twoleg contraption. "In here," it said. "Things in here. Carry them."

"Where did you get this from?" Promisepaw asked, examining the basket skeptically.

"Kitty in the Gianthouse gave it to us." The weasel curled its tail in pleasure. "We are very good friends with the kitty."

Promisepaw dropped the herbs into the small basket and took it in her jaws. "All weef need nowf if fome poffy feeds," she muttered thickly. "I fink I know where there'f fome wild gar'ik, an' Twolegf alwayf haff thyme in their gardenf."

Stone-Moss-Yis nodded, apparently understanding her every word. "Follow us, kitty!" It zipped away, forcing Promisepaw to break into a run if she wanted to keep up with it. The weasel skidded to a halt a few nests down, motioning for its companion to stop as well. Promisepaw looked around. She could make out the scent of thyme clearly, and dropped the basket as she jumped atop the fence. From her high perch, the white apprentice could see a neatly-tended garden...guarded by a large dog. She hissed.

"You've led me to a dead end!" she spat to Stone-Moss-Yis as it joined her on the fence. "There's no way I'll get past that dog!"

"You, no. Us, yis." Without another word, the weasel slipped down and streaked over to the garden. "Tell us about this 'time.'"

"It's a small shrub with round leaves and a very distinctive scent," Promisepaw whispered, wary of the large canine. Stone-Moss-Yis poked its head out of the tangle of stems with a mouthful of leaves. "That's mint." It dove down and resurfaced. "That's rosemary...Sage ...Catnip, but bring some of that with you. Actually, a lot. Ah! _That's_ thyme!"

Stone-Moss-Yis slipped back up the fence, its jaws crammed with thyme and catnip. It deposited the herbs in the basket. Promisepaw cheered softly. The dog growled low in its throat, a growl that soon changed into a thunderous bark. Promisepaw's tail bristled to twice its size as she bolted, just barely remembering to grab her basket of herbs when she fled. Stone-Moss-Yis erupted into a fit of giggles. Promisepaw rolled her eyes silently.

Out of earshot of the dog, the pair sat down to examine their spoils. Thyme, marigold, cobwebs, and a generous portion of catnip. Promisepaw purred. "We told you we could help," the weasel cooed, flicking its web-wrapped tail.

"And you did. Now all we need is the poppy and the garlic. Any ideas?"

"Come with us."

Promisepaw had no choice but to follow the weasel as it sped across the neat lawns of the Twolegplace. She skidded to a halt beside a narrow Thunderpath, looking from side to side for monsters. Nothing. The Thunderpath wasn't even paved with that acrid-smelling black stuff. It was just dirt, which surprised her. Stone-Moss-Yis squealed and darted out across the path. Promisepaw bolted after it. Once more, it motioned for her to meet a sharp halt in front of another garden.

The white queen patted a few stems, nodding. "Yes. This is poppy. How do you know so much about herbs, friend?"

"We were right?" Stone-Moss-Yis looked strangely relieved. "We were just guessing." Promisepaw swiped playfully at it.

She stretched up onto her hindpaws and clipped a few stems neatly with her teeth, then dropped them into the basket. Then, taking the basket up in her jaws, she twitched her tail for the weasel to follow her back to the barn.

They stopped along the way only once, to grab the patch of wild garlic Promisepaw had scented earlier. They reached the barn at sundown. By the time Promisepaw was settling in and sorting her herbs, Sunpaw and Shadowpaw arrived, carrying between them a vast amount of prey. Stone-Moss-Yis squealed with glee and pounced on the mice, devouring them with gusto.

Trickpaw heaved a sigh of relief, butting his head against Promisepaw's flank. "Thank StarClan you're back," he meowed. "I was beginning to worry. It's not safe out there, what with all the badgers and foxes..."

"Trickpaw..." Promisepaw drew back. His tone of voice suggested that the ginger tomcat had been truly worried about her well-being, almost as if he truly believed she was in danger. "I...It's...I'm not some helpless kit!" she spat, losing her temper. "You've seen me hunt! You've seen me fight! I've trained as a warrior as well as a healer! For the love of StarClan, I can take care of myself!"

"Promisepaw, I didn't mean it like that!" Trickpaw protested. Promisepaw turned her back to him. She was stung beyond all belief.

"If anyone needed some cat to worry about their tail, it would be you, _kittypet_!" spat Shadowpaw. "Promisepaw was forest-born. In fact, she's been looking out for you a lot this whole journey! Be grateful that she didn't turn you away when you followed us!"

Promisepaw didn't bother silencing the hostile she-cat. She gazed up at the window. Small flakes of white fluff drifted down across the dark square. It was snowing on the moorlands. She sighed and leapt onto the ladder, making her way up to the hayloft to sleep. Her heart beat a sad refrain, repeating the young tom's name. _Trickpaw. Trickpaw. Trickpaw. Trickpaw. Trickpaw._

The white queen flopped down beside Wavepaw. The silver cat was twitching and mewing softly. Nothing was going right. Wavepaw was down...Trickpaw was...being a—the word hurt to even think—kittypet. Soft pawsteps alerted her to the presence of Shadowpaw. The dark she-cat held the basket in her jaws. "I brought this up to you," she meowed. "Is everything all right?"

"No."

"Sorry. Stupid question. Of course everything's not all right." Shadowpaw heaved a soft sigh. "Look, I know Trickpaw upset you. Forget about him. Remember that when it all comes down to it...it's not like you can really love him."

"I know." Promisepaw buried her head in her paws. "But I can't help it. I just...he makes me feel so..." She sighed. "Think about you and Sunpaw. That's how I feel."

There was silence, although it wasn't true silence, with all Wavepaw's soft squeaks of feverish pain. Promisepaw got up and sighed once more. "I'd better get to work on Wavepaw," she murmured. "Before he gets any worse."

"Anything I can help with?" Shadowpaw asked.

"I'd love an extra pair of paws. Yes. Chew these leaves up, but don't swallow too much of the juices." Promisepaw pushed a few bits of marigold towards her friend. "When you've got a good mouthful of juice, spit it onto that wound on his tail."

She sat down to watch Shadowpaw do as she was told. Then she called for Stone-Moss-Yis to bring its tail, still wrapped with cobwebs. She wrapped them around the bitemark. "Now we wait. There's nothing more we can really do now."

Shadowpaw nodded. The sound of paws alerted them to another cat joining them. Trickpaw. "Hey, uh...can you help me with...the badger wound on my face?" he asked timidly. Promisepaw fought to keep her hackles low as she shoved a mass of cobwebs at him.

"Do it yourself," she growled, and padded over to sit on the windowsill.

Snow drifted down in white bits of down, slowly coating the windy moor with white fur. Promisepaw heaved a soft sigh. She recalled the first time she had ever seen snow, being just a little kit. Bearpaw—Bearkit—had been surprisingly timid in his first steps onto the white fluff. Summerpaw—kit—had set him straight, though, tackling him into the nearest drift. Promisepaw remembered Great...kit urging her to take the first step into the white world. She had done so, and had won every game of hide-and-seek that day.

Snow was nice. It was white like her pelt, and didn't hold onto scents.

She sighed. Leaf-bare was here, no doubt about it. They had to hurry if they wanted to save PromiseClan before the warriors became too weak with hunger to fight off whatever the danger was.

Suddenly, Promisepaw was blinded by a bright ray of golden light. She gave a startled yowl and toppled back from the ledge, landing on the loft floor.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Shadowpaw mewed anxiously.

"Promisepaw! Say something!" Trickpaw pleaded. Sunpaw sat down in Promisepaw's former spot.

_"Go up to the hayloft and look out below...Follow the gold beam wherever it shows," _he murmured.


	24. Chapter 22

Trickpaw blinked. "What did you say, Sunpaw?" he asked.

"That's the next line," the other ginger cat replied. "That's the gold beam. We have to follow it."

"What comes next?" Promisepaw asked, having recovered from her shock.

_"Don't be disheartened if you're out of luck...Remember your cause and fight your way through."_

Trickpaw nodded. He could still hear his mother's soft, melodious voice as she sang them the song. It soothed his shattered heart. But he caught sight of Promisepaw, and his heart broke again. Now she hated him. He had lost her, never to get her back.

"Does it go any further than that? That's not too helpful," Shadowpaw muttered.

Sunpaw scratched behind his ear thoughtfully. He cast Trickpaw a pleading glance. Trickpaw shook his head slightly. If he stole Sunpaw's lines, Shadowpaw would hate him for pushing aside her love, and Promisepaw would find him a show-off. Sunpaw sighed inaudibly.

"It doesn't give us any more directions...other than we're going past Bearplace and Houndplace."

"What are bears and hounds?" Trickpaw murmured.

"Hounds? We know of hounds." Stone-Moss-Yis perched on its hind paws to come eye-to-eye with Trickpaw. "Nasty, slobbery creatures. Like dogs. Big, big dogs. Nastier, though. Drooly and loud. We know where to find them. Houndplace is many nights that way." It pointed out the window in the exact direction the beam of gold light pointed.

"Do you know of a creature called Moonchild?" Promisepaw asked. "We're supposed to find her."

To their surprise, the weasel nodded its head. "We know of her. Strange beast, she is. But gentle and kind. Yis. You will like her."

Trickpaw stepped forward. His heart fell as he saw Promisepaw make a sleek movement. To the common eye, it appeared that she had turned away to take care of some personal grooming. However, Trickpaw saw the icy glint in her eyes and knew she was turning away from him. He steeled himself. "Can you tell us how to get to her?" he asked.

"Yis." The weasel slipped up to the windowledge, motioning for the curious Trickpaw to follow its lead. The ginger tom stepped up onto the sill. "You must follow the path...difficult, because it will be snow-covered. Perhaps this is the way you must fight through." It nodded. "Yis. You must have courage...believe in what you can do as one...And remember that only you can save your family, yis."

Trickpaw fell silent. He knew that there was no getting Stone-Moss-Yis to say anything more. _What a strange creature...and yet, so intelligent. I'll miss...it._

Sunpaw nodded. "Yes...thank you for that, friend," he meowed. "If we get the chance, we'll visit you again."

"We'll only let you stay for mice!" the weasel sang gleefully. "Lots and lots of mice, yis!"

Trickpaw turned back to his friends. Shadowpaw was giving him a frosty glare, while Promisepaw was bending over Wavepaw. Trickpaw felt he should be doing something to help; Promisepaw looked very harassed and tired, and in need of warm fur pressing against her side. He stopped with one paw in the air. No. She hadn't forgiven him yet. How could he have said something so mouse-brained? Sunpaw rubbed his tail along Trickpaw's shoulder, attracting the tom's attention.

"Give her time to cool down," he murmured. "I'll admit, what you said didn't hurt as much as how you said it. But she knows you love her, and in time, she'll go back to you. But let _her_ go to _you_ when she's ready." Trickpaw nodded. "Why don't you grab a bite of fresh-kill and a quick nap? If any cat tries to say something bad, I'll cover for you."

Trickpaw nodded gratefully, grabbing a small vole to ease his hungry stomach. He curled up in a pile of soft hay to sleep. The ginger tom sunk his fangs into the fresh-kill tiredly. He could recall his first days in the forest, when every new piece of prey sent him on a new journey. Mice were sweet, rabbits had a bit of a dull flavor, birds were airy and barely a mouthful once you got past the feathers...He sighed. All this thinking about food was making him even hungrier. He finished the vole quickly and settled his head on his paws.

As his eyes closed, Trickpaw's mind summoned a faint memory of his mother. He could not see her face, but her voice and scent surrounded him fully, wrapping him in the gentle embrace of kithood. The vibrations of her meow filled his ears and brought him back to his days under her care.

_"Remember, my kits...if you ever find the Moonchild, you must be willing to part with something...Something important: a sign of your loyalty and courage. Can you give her what she wants?"_

_A sign of our courage,_ Trickpaw mused drowsily. _What could we possibly have to offer? Courage is something that cannot be touched or carried. How can we present her with what she wants?_ Dark clouds of sleep rolled over his mind, blocking out the light of alertness, and sending the young cat into a deep dream.

He was running through the forest, near his old Twoleg nest. He sniffed, and the odors of his old and new lives mingled into one soothing scent of home. Trickpaw felt his tense body relax. He knew where he was. Everything was familiar to him now. He looked up into the sky, wondering faintly if it was night or day. His eyes stretched wide in shock.

Silverpelt hovered down closer, each star breaking away and becoming an astral cat. Trickpaw looked from warrior to warrior, his mouth agape. Why was StarClan appearing to _him_? One cat broke away from the throng and padded up to the startled tomcat. Trickpaw shivered as he recognized a cat who he thought he'd never see again.

"Mother..." he mewed softly, like a thirsty kit longing for something to drink. Kenya nodded, her purr filling the world with bliss. Trickpaw ran to her side, mewing and rubbing his mother's starry body shamelessly. Kenya allowed him to greet her, then stepped back.

"You are safe here, my son," she meowed.

"Are we ever in danger in our dreams?" Trickpaw asked curiously. Kenya motioned for him to follow behind her, and led him to a rise. Only then did Trickpaw truly hear the horrible yowls and snarls of cats grappling fiercely with unknown beasts. His hackles rose.

"No. No cat is in danger here," Kenya replied at length. "But cats will be in the waking world. When you are faced with difficult choices, follow your heart. It will never lead you wrong." The tortoiseshell turned to face her son. Her formerly dark eyes were lighter, it seemed, shining with the light of the stars. Trickpaw nodded.

"But Mother...if you are in StarClan...does that mean you..."

"Yes." Kenya's gaze shifted back to the patient ranks of StarClan. "And I've been waiting to speak with you, Trickpaw." Her voice faltered before she said his name, almost as if she had difficulty getting it out of her throat. "And there will be time to speak later. But now you must awake. Remember your gift to the Moonchild!"

"What is it that I must give her?" Trickpaw demanded. But Kenya and the rest of StarClan were fading fast, like dew on a morning in greenleaf. Trickpaw ran from warrior to warrior, asking them the same. Every time he finished his question, though, the cat vanished, shaking its head slowly. Soon, Trickpaw was alone with the terrified cries of his Clan as they fought for survival against the unknown danger.

**And now we cut out. Sorry for this chapter being so...short. Don't blame me. (holds out a Firestar plushie) It's all his fault! His, I tell you! (runs away cuddling her Tigerstar plushie)**


	25. Chapter 23

"Pack free," Leader grunted, shoving the shorn bar towards Ocarina. "Ready to help Alliance."

Ocarina nodded, her dark eyes glinting excitedly. She turned her gaze up to the black wolf, adopting a look of innocent disappointment. "Good. But Alliance not ready. Hawk-Smallfur sick. All must be around to watch Pack hunt. Learn from Pack."

Leader nodded. "Hawk-Smallfur recover soon. Pack restless." His wild eyes glanced over his shoulder at the listless wolves behind him, who were lolling around on the ground and playing bored games with their water bowl. He sighed. The Pack was all fired up and ready to run free under Silvereye again. Any more waiting and some wolf was bound to snap.

"Alliance leave Pack to tend to Hawk-Smallfur," Ocarina meowed, dipping her head respectfully. "One day, two day. Three days most. Hawk-Smallfur strong. Be well soon."

Leader nodded and swished his tail to dismiss the Smallfurs before him. He waited until they were out of sight before letting loose a howl of pure rage. They were close, so close! How could these pathetic Smallfurs be holding them back? He wanted to leave now and forget his paw-swear. But an Alpha had to keep all promises, even those made to lesser creatures.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Blood Fang grinned, his teeth flashing in the low light. He summoned his Pack together with a low woof. Together, the four wolves sat watching the snow fall. Blood Fang turned to Bone Claw, his chosen mate. "Leader's paws freeze," he joked. "Mighty Leader fall like frostbitten pup." Bone Claw nodded rapidly, giving him a gentle lick on the muzzle.

"Pups of High Tail follow own path," she barked. "Path set by Blood Fang. Blood Fang great. Greater than Leader-Father."

"Leader-Father head light," Shadow added, hoping to gain favor with his new Alpha. Blood Fang gave him a stern glare, and the dark wolf backed down, pressing his belly to the ground. Apparently, only Alphas could badmouth Alphas.

Blood Fang reached out a paw to touch the clumping snow. It felt good...like something he should have felt before...something in his blood. The white wolf stood up quickly and glared into the gathering shadows. Something was going on in the Foxden. He growled the wolf sound of "Come out if you want to live." He could not determine a distinct shape, only the movement of the white fox.

"Pup, why do you seek to kill your father?" a voice asked softly from the Foxden. Blood Fang growled.

"Leader stupid," he replied angrily. "Blood Fang lead better. Lead own Pack."

"You're no match for your father. He's much bigger than you are. You'll wind up getting yourself killed."

"Fox dumber than Leader! Not alone. Have new Pack! Stronger than old Pack!"

His sharp ears picked out the sound of a sigh. "Very well, pup."

"Name Blood Fang!"

"Not to me it's not!" the fox retorted. "I brought you into this world, whelp. Your parents owe me that much, and I'll not stand around and listen to such disrespect from you!"

Blood Fang grinned. "Old fox cranky," he taunted. "Fur growing gray. Too many moons has old, old fox seen." He stuck his tongue out impudently like a naughty pup. The fox snarled angrily. The white wolf sat confident and secure; he knew the foxes never left their den for anything. They did not long for such freedom.

"I may be old, but with age comes wisdom and respect for all things, as well as _maturity_!" There came the swishing of long fur as the fox left in a huff. Blood Fang grinned and licked his lips. When he and his Pack escaped, she would be the first to go.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

"Settle down, Mother," Starchild murmured, trying to soothe the irate, pacing fox. "You have never taken the words of these pups seriously before. Why let it bother you now?"

Moonchild heaved a soft sigh and sat down, her pelt bristling with anxiety. "I suppose it is just everything combining as one huge frustration," she replied. "And my age. I am not as young as I once was, my child."

"Neither am I. I used to be blind and suckling."

Moonchild licked behind her daughter's ears lovingly. "I suppose you are right in a way, Starchild. But at the same time, so wrong. I am getting old. My bones are sorer now more than ever. I am not sure I will be able to help the cats when they come."

Starchild whimpered and drew closer to the old fox. "Do not talk like that, Mother. You _will _help them. You are the Child of Moon! The circling eye of Invierno...the vulpine God of the Skies. Only you know his secrets."

"And you are the Child of Stars, Invierno's kits who guide the cycles of life and death. Do not belittle yourself, Starchild."

"Mother...when will the cats get here?"

"Who knows, my child. The star-cats told me they have struck down one of the foul cats who wish to free the hounds with an evil blight. No matter what happens, he will never recover. We can only hope his illness delays the freeing of the hound pack long enough."

"It must. They will care for him...won't they?"

"I do not know."

Starchild froze. Moonchild's gaze had been centered on the falling snow as she spoke, and her voice had carried a sepulchral tone. It was the first time in Starchild's life she had heard her mother say 'I do not know.' Moonchild knew everything! How could she possibly _not know_ something? "Surely these cats care for their own?"

"Perhaps they do. But looking at their leader, I would say that it is likely they will kill him in a matter of days. He is slowing them down."

"Will the star-cats strike another?"

"I do not know."

Starchild felt her fur stand on end with fear. That was the _second_ time! Something was deeply wrong with her mother...Moonchild never sounded so hopeless! The milky gray fox kit stepped up beside her mother and nuzzled her. "You _must_ know! What is life without hope and knowledge?"

"What is death without shadows and doubt?" Moonchild countered, the charnel sound reentering her voice. "I am old, Starchild. I may not live to greet these cats. It will be your duty to protect and educate them." She sighed. "When I am dead, promise me you will carry me always with you."

"I will."

"The root of my wisdom...you must take it."

Starchild blinked. Her mother, she thought, was referring to the fox belief that their tails held all their wit and trickery. "I will," she repeated, studying the thick, white tail. Moonchild opened her mouth and showed her daughter a crooked tooth in the back of her jaw.

"This is the root of my wisdom. Take it when I am dead."

"I will. But why do you speak of dying?"

"All things will end some day." Moonchild shook her head. "But that is enough. Rest is important for you. I will chart what stars I see tonight." Starchild knew it would be hopeless to argue with her mother. As she nestled down in her bed, though, she couldn't help a slice of pure rage at the disrespectful wolf. He had caused this, despite whatever Moonchild said.

The blue-gray ball of foxy fluff curled herself into a ball of anger and sorrow. She shivered and sighed, hoping with all her might that somehow the cats would be able to stop the hound pack; hoping with every fiber of her being that her mother would live to see the day they came. There was no denying how old Moonchild was. Starchild knew that the day was approaching rapidly that her mother's slender chest would no longer move. She hoped beyond hope that day would never come.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

"This is hopeless!" spat Ocarina. "There's no way we'll be able to get the Pack free in time! You're pathetic, Hawk. Can't even keep a little cold at bay, can you?" She pushed her muzzle up against his, snarling angrily. "I can't see how you've survived so long! You're pathetic, Hawk, and someone needs to get this over with now!"

Hawk, a once-sturdy tom reduced to a coughing, shivering ball of feverish fur, whimpered quietly. He had seen cats in this same condition before. Greencough. He was going to die, if not by the disease, but by Ocarina's claws. He let his yellow eyes close and coughed his last. Ocarina's fangs sunk deep into his chest, piercing his heart and killing him instantly. The tawny she-cat licked blood from her muzzle.

"Some cat go back to the hounds and tell the Hawk is dead. Don't say how unless they ask you. Hera, you go." The silver queen nodded and padded off. "Faster! We need to get them out _now_!" Hera's leisurely trot sped up to full-out running. Ocarina watched her leave, nodding to herself. "Yes...it's been a long time, but I think we're finally ready to put our plan into action."

Softly, hidden in the shadow of the snowclouds, Zachary began to cough...


	26. Chapter 24

Wavepaw awoke slowly, feeling the dark wave of sleep ebb from his mind. He sat up, blinking in the low light of the barn. His tail stung, and he smelled terrible, but he was alive. He spotted Promisepaw curled up beside Shadowpaw and Sunpaw, and blinked, ears twitching with confusion. Trickpaw was sprawled out a few tail-lengths away from the warm huddle. _Okay, I definitely missed something here._

"White-kitty Promisepaw had fight with Gold-kitty Trickpaw," a lilting voice informed the drowsy tomcat. "We saw the whole thing." Wavepaw whirled around to see that strange kitten sitting up on its hind paws, staring him down with its dark eyes. "Good Morning."

Wavepaw stumbled back with a soft yowl of surprise. He blinked, still not fully registering this strange creature. "Who...what...are you, exactly?" he asked.

"We are called Stone-Moss-Yis, yis. We are a weasel. You are in our barn. Shall we wake the sleeping kitties?"

Wavepaw glanced around, wondering why the weasel kept talking about a 'we' when it was apparently the only one of its kind here. "Er...no. I think I can do that myself." He padded over and placed a paw on Promisepaw's tail.

"'m not gonna come back," the white cat groaned, "not after all that..."

"I wasn't aware you'd left," Wavepaw meowed. "But, since you're not coming back, I guess I'll just be on my way without you." The amber eyes shot open.

"Wavepaw!" she yowled, tackling the tom. "You're all right!" The sound of her greeting woke the rest of the cats.

"Wavepaw! How're you feeling?"

"Hey Wave-Head, you scared us! Don't ever do that again, or I'll tear you open from nose to tail!"

"Glad you're okay, buddy. We're all ready to leave and find Moonchild. All we needed was you."

Wavepaw looked from Promisepaw, to Trickpaw, to Shadowpaw, to Sunpaw. A purr built up in his throat. "Thanks, you guys. I'm glad you're all here for me."

"We just wouldn't be the Prophecy Fulfillers without you," Promisepaw mewed, a teasing tone in her voice. Wavepaw noted a glint in Trickpaw's eyes, something that spoke faintly of jealousy. Did that furball actually think Wavepaw wanted to be mates with Promisepaw?

"Now that the gang's all together again, how's about we head out?" the silver tom asked lightly, trying to break up the pressure building between Trickpaw and himself. "I mean, we don't know how much longer we have to save PromiseClan, right?"

He saw nods from the rest of the group and pushed himself up to his paws. "Well, not like I actually met you, but thanks anyways." He tried to give Stone-Moss-Yis a friendly lick, but the weasel slipped away, muttering darkly under its breath.

"Trying to taste us, is he? Never!" The weasel scrubbed its face busily with a paw. "What does he think we are, some tasty mousie? Urgh!"

"Thank you, friend." Promisepaw was actually allowed to nuzzle its head gently. "But now that we are leaving, there's something we're all curious about. Are you male or female?"

Stone-Moss-Yis giggled. "Neither! We are neither one nor the other! Such happens sometimes. Perhaps this is why we are so strange." Wavepaw nodded. He could not detect any distinctive gender-related odor on its pelt.

**Just like to point out here that an organism having no discernable gender does actually occur—although, it's about as likely as being struck by lightning in the middle of an earthquake while you hold a winning lottery card in your hands. So, yes, Stone-Moss-Yis is really an "it." I would know about these things. My mother is an L&D nurse (Labor and Delivery; babies being born). I hear enough stories from her about the weird things that can happen to babies. However, I would like to point out that chances are very slim Stone-Moss-Yis—if it were an actual, living creature—would have survived.**

Padding out into the snow, Wavepaw was struck with curiosity about the odd thing Promisepaw held in her mouth. He asked Sunpaw about it. "She's using it to hold all her herbs. There's even some fresh-kill in there, too, I think." The tall cat raised himself onto his toes. "Yes, there's prey in there."

"Wonderful. We have healing and dining all in one easy-to-carry parcel. Nice." Promisepaw purred around the basket handle. Trickpaw shot Wavepaw a glare filled with that same jealousy-anger concoction. Wavepaw returned a look of innocence that said plainly, _Not **my **fault!_

"Lay off it," Sunpaw muttered. Wavepaw twitched his ears, but the tall he-cat's eyes were focused on Trickpaw. Wavepaw sighed softly. Shadowpaw padded up next to him.

"Before we spotted the barn, you started to say something to me," she mewed. "What was it, exactly? You said you really, really..."

Wavepaw felt his fur flush hot. Cats...couldn't blush, right? Because if they could, Shadowpaw would suffer death by purring in a minute. "Oh...er. I, uh...was saying that I really, really like muskrat." He nodded rapidly. "Yeah. It just—mm, mm—fills the ol' belly right up, doesn't it?"

"Yes. But they're nasty creatures. You don't go after them very often. They...bite first, think second. When did you eat one, though?"

"Back in...LakeClan. One strayed into our territory. We nabbed it in a blink. Bit of a strong flavor, though. I prefer fish."

Shadowpaw said nothing, but her whiskers gave a disbelieving ripple. Wavepaw let out a silent breath of air. That had been too close. He had almost revealed his semi-secret crush on—

"Shadowpaw, why don't you take the lead for a while?" Promisepaw asked, setting down her basket. "SwampClan cats are known for their razor-sharp instincts, right?"

"Among other things, yes." The dark cat stepped forward.

"Yes. Their noses, their wits, and their tongues," Wavepaw joked to Sunpaw. But the golden-ginger cat didn't purr. Wavepaw followed his gaze to Shadowpaw, standing confidently with her sleek pelt flowing out behind her like the waves of a midnight pool. Both tomcats released a happy sigh in unison and whispered, "She's beautiful." They whipped their heads around and stared.

"Whoa, she's _your_ she-cat," Wavepaw meowed, backing away slightly. Sunpaw nodded as if confirming this statement. Wavepaw sang under his breath, "Shadowpaw and Sunpaw, purring in a tree..."

The silver tom bounded forward, away from the lovey-dovey Sunpaw. He found a spot beside Promisepaw. The white queen nodded to him. Wavepaw padded happily alongside her until Trickpaw's hot gazes seemed to sear the fur right off the back of his neck. He gave in and returned to his former position with Sunpaw.

"She-cats," Wavepaw muttered. "StarClan's gift and curse to the forest, eh, Sunpaw?"

"I like 'em anyway," Sunpaw replied in a whisper.

Wavepaw shook his head. "Ah, forget you. I was hoping to have an enlightening conversation about tom things. You know: fighting foxes, sinking your fangs into an enemy warrior's flesh...bloody things."

"Ew. No thanks."

"You're turning into such a little queen! What's next? Insisting that we stop at the nearest stream so you can wash your paws?"

"Wavepaw, if you're going to be such a sourpuss, I suggest you drop back and walk by yourself until you cool your paws."

Wavepaw snorted and lowered his head as a sharp gust of wind ruffled his ears. The stinging cold brought tears to his green eyes, which he quickly blinked away. Left there, they just might freeze. You never knew.

"This is terrible," Trickpaw complained, flattening his ears and screwing up his eyes. "I can't see my paws in front of my face! Promisepaw, Shadowpaw, whichever of you has the lead, can't we stop for a while?"

"Aw, come on, Trickpaw, where's your sense of adventure?" Wavepaw teased. "This is what being a warrior is all about! Freezing your tail off for the sake of your Clan! Pushing through harsh environments where you're the only creature who talks sense!...Wondering what you're going to eat for your next meal. Speaking of which, can we grab some lunch? I'm hungry."

"You're a stomach on four paws, that's what you are!" Promisepaw returned his teasing tone. Wavepaw felt the heat of Trickpaw's glower melt the ice in his muscles. His hackles rose reflexively. Why was Trickpaw being so hateful all of a sudden? Was it because of Promisepaw?

"Hey, some cat's got to keep the prey in check. Without us walking bellies, there would be mice, squirrels, and rabbits everywhere!"

"Squirrels," Promisepaw mewed longingly. "It's been ages since we've even scented a squirrel."

"Don't worry, we'll take care of you," Sunpaw meowed, his voice full of the usual optimism. Wavepaw wondered briefly if Trickpaw was giving _him_ the evil-eye now. Strange, he had never noticed how protective Trickpaw was of Promisepaw. Kind of creepy, really. Bit like an obsession. _What exactly happened while I was out cold?_

"There's an overhang not too far ahead," Shadowpaw called back. "I think it's a good idea we shelter there for the night." She raised her tail straight up into the air, a dark beacon against the swirling mass of white. Wavepaw forced his paws to pull him through the deep drifts. The going was rough, and the silver cat was tired beyond all thought. He stumbled and fell. Teeth met in the scruff of his neck.

"You're not walking any more," the muffled voice of Sunpaw informed him. "Your tail's starting to bleed again. It's no trouble."

"You have no idea how grateful I am for that," Wavepaw mewed. "Where would we be without you, Sunpaw?"

"Lost, cold, and very hungry."

Wavepaw let Sunpaw carry him the distance to the rocky overhang Shadowpaw had seen. Once beneath the spur of rock, he sprawled out, exhausted. Scuffling sounds around him told the young cat that Promisepaw was sorting through her herbs. He heard a thump and opened one eye. A finch lay in front of him. "You can have that," the white cat meowed. "Just keep your tail still while I get working on it."

As he plucked the feathers from the piece of prey, he noticed that Trickpaw was watching him hungrily. Shadowpaw was pretending to look the other way, while Sunpaw studied his paws. "Uh...something wrong? Shouldn't you guys be eating?"

"Well...I dropped the basket...and that's the only piece of fresh-kill left...I don't know where the rest is..."

Wavepaw unsheathed a claw and started to separate the soft bird meat into equal portions. "Well don't let me have it all. You guys must be starving." Trickpaw nodded, Shadowpaw shrugged, and Sunpaw sighed. "Come on, I'm not gonna eat all this while you watch. Have some! I'll take the first bite and make sure it's not poisoned." Wavepaw swallowed a small scrap. "Tastes great! Have some!"

"I couldn't." Sunpaw shook his head.

"Not hungry," Shadowpaw mewed.

"I dunno."

"Stay _still_, Wavepaw!"

Wavepaw slumped into a sullen silence. "Look, I'm not eating any more until you do."

Trickpaw moved first. His paw snaked out and swiped one of the piles of meat. He started gulping it down ravenously. Shadowpaw shrugged and took a pile for herself and Sunpaw. Sunpaw nudged one aside for Promisepaw and took one. Purring, Wavepaw gulped down the last pile.

Promisepaw looked up when she had finished. "Try to keep your tail still, Wavepaw. I think you're lucky; you don't have the sickness Shadowpaw was talking about. I've heard there's no cure for it."

"On the contrary, I've heard of one medicine cat who—"

"Wavepaw...I think now would be a good time for you to rest."

"Suit yourself." Wavepaw closed his eyes lightly and listened to the sounds of his fellow apprentices settling down with each other. A paw prodded his side. He opened one eye a slit and saw Trickpaw framed in the reflected snowlight.

"What's wrong?"

"Listen, Wavepaw, I don't care what she-cat you go padding after but," He lowered his face to the level of Wavepaw's, "_don't go near Promisepaw._ She's mine. I don't care about codes. We're going to have kits one day. She agreed to it. So don't go near her!"

Wavepaw opened his mouth to ask Trickpaw if he was a sleep-walker like Summerpaw, but the golden tom had already curled up on the other side of the den—near the entrance, Wavepaw noticed. Trickpaw fluffed out his fur and curled into a tight ball. Wavepaw sighed. _Trickpaw...this love will only bring you pain and sorrow. Can't you see it was never meant to be?_ But Trickpaw couldn't hear his thoughts, however desperate they were. Wavepaw laid his head on his paws and fell asleep.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

The wind howled low over the treetops, causing bare branches to rattle together like deer antlers. Snow flurried down thicker than before, covering the cold ground in a white winter coat. The white fluff, however, failed to cover up the bright crimson fluid in the dirt immediately. It lay in a slushy puddle around the spots of blood, as well as a clumsily dug hole in the hard soil: a hole which now held the bodies of Hawk, Zachary, and Hera.

Undaunted by the cold, the sickness, and the obvious signs that she should give in while she was still alive, Ocarina pushed onwards.


	27. Chapter 25

Shadowpaw was the first awake. The dark queen padded to the edge of the makeshift den and poked her muzzle out into the chilly air. The snow had stopped falling for now, but the sound of the howling wind remained as it scoured the moor. She snorted softly. "This is not good. How will we even know if we're on the right path?" She shook her head. "We won't be able to follow our pawsteps back to the barn."

"Could be worse," Sunpaw murmured. "We could be too late."

"How do you know we aren't?" Shadowpaw turned back to gaze at the cat as he awoke.

"I don't know...I just have this mean feeling we'll make it in time." The gold-striped tomcat padded up and pushed his muzzle against hers. Shadowpaw felt a happy purr rumble in her chest. As long as he was here...everything would be all right.

"What should we do today?" she asked. "I mean, we're going to freeze if we try going out in that. Literally. That's why SwampClan rarely leaves...left their camp in leaf-bare. If you're wet, you're dead."

"But at the same time, we should try to get there as soon as possible."

Shadowpaw glanced back at the sleeping forms of the other cats. "In the end, it's Promisepaw's decision," she meowed. "After all, it was her dream that led us out here in the first place. She's the one who will have the final say."

Sunpaw sighed softly and stretched out beside Shadowpaw. The dark she-cat curled her body next to his. "I'm glad you're here with me, Shadowpaw," he mewed. "I'm also really glad that there's a she-cat on this journey who I can fall in love with."

"Is that all you ever talk about, you stupid furball? Love?" Shadowpaw teased. Sunpaw purred.

"I'm a tomcat. It's what we do."

"Sorry to break up the little circle of love," the voice of Wavepaw meowed, "but some of us like to _sleep_!"

"Go stalk a fox, Wavepaw!" Promisepaw growled. Trickpaw grunted angrily and flopped over onto his other side. Shadowpaw let a _mrrow_ of laughter escape her. They were all old enough to be warriors, but they all insisted on acting like apprentices.

"Promisepaw, are we going out at all today?"

"Whatever you want, Shadowpaw. You're by the entrance. You can tell better than I can."

"Looks cold and nasty."

"Then we're staying in."

"I'm hungry."

"Then go out and hunt, Wavepaw. I'm not your mentor."

Shadowpaw curled up closer against Sunpaw's warm flank and closed her eyes. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad...spending a day of sleeping...all cuddled up with Sunpaw...

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

"Shadowpaw!"

"I'm..." Shadowpaw rolled over onto her side, blinking in the darkness of the cave where she and the others had sheltered. Her whiskers gave the ripple of a rat creeping through swampgrass. "...yeah, I'm...whatever..."

"Come on, wake up, already! Everyone else is already outside! The wind stopped, let's go! Come _on_!"

"Wavepaw, if you poke me one more time, I'll feed your paw to the badgers!"

The silver cat who had awoken her was clearly ready to set off; he was skipping and dancing in front of her, green eyes glimmering. Shadowpaw gave a bad-tempered growl and shoved him out of her way. She squinted in the icy glare that met her eyes.

"Glad to see you're awake, Shadowpaw," meowed Sunpaw. He stood tall and sleek, nose pointing into the occasional wind that scattered the powdery surface snow. "We've got a big day ahead of us."

"Great StarClan, was _that_ why Wavepaw was acting like a rabbit with birth pains?"

Promisepaw purred. "No. We told him to wake you up at all costs," she replied. "Needless to say, he accepted without hesitation."

"If it gave him the chance to annoy me, I suppose he would have."

Shadowpaw shivered, fluffing out her dark gray fur to keep the chill out. She padded up beside Trickpaw for a change of pace. The tom was alternately shooting Promisepaw looks of pure sorrow, and giving Wavepaw glares so fiery Shadowpaw wondered if they would melt the snow around the cats. She had no time to wonder any more. Promisepaw flung her tail into the air, the agreed signal for "Follow me."

As she pushed through the heavy drifts, Shadowpaw glanced over at Trickpaw. "What's up with you?" she asked under her breath.

"Wavepaw thinks he can take Promisepaw while she's turned away from me," the tom growled. "But he's wrong!"

"Trickpaw, why do you even care? Yes, Promisepaw is a nice cat, and I admit she is very beautiful, but she's out of your reach. Wavepaw can't _'take'_ her from you because it's against the warrior code for you to even _'have' _her in the first place."

"I don't care." Trickpaw snorted snow from his nostrils angrily. "I love her!"

"Have you been listening to anything we've said to you? _You can't love her!_"

"Go pad after Sunpaw, Shadowpaw!" Trickpaw snapped. "Don't tell me how to live my life!"

Shadowpaw stopped in her tracks. Her amber eyes hardened. "Fine. I will. I just hope you remember that there are plenty of she-cats in PromiseClan for you to fall in love with, who are willing to fall in love with you. You're a sweet-natured, handsome tomcat. Don't come meowing to me when Riverstar breaks you and Promisepaw up."

She slunk back to the end of the group, tail bristling, ears flat to her skull. Why had she even bothered? Trickpaw was impossible! She barely felt Sunpaw twining his tail with hers. Her eyes narrowed. A word surfaced in her mind as she glared and the ginger cat. "Sorrowheart!" she yowled at his back. For an instant, she saw a flicker of black fur padding beside Trickpaw. Then it was gone. She shook her head rapidly. All the others were staring at her.

"Sorrowheart?" Promisepaw repeated, turning to look at her curiously. Shadowpaw shook her whole body this time, blinking hard.

"Er...sorry. Don't know where that came from..."

"Yeah..." Wavepaw shivered, his thick pelt fluffing out around him. "Keep your random outbursts to yourself, Shadowpaw."

Shadowpaw, for the first time in her life, was embarrassed. She felt her fur flush hot with shame. Then she slumped back into her former, angry state. But confusion was mingled with her fury. _Sorrowheart sounds like it could be a warrior name...a very unfortunate one, though. What queen would call their kit Sorrowkit? It doesn't make any sense! And yet...I swear by the stars of Silverpelt that there was another cat walking beside Trickpaw. Was it...a sign?_

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

The going was rough that day. Many times cats pleaded to be allowed a few minutes' rest. Shadowpaw was on pins and needles, fear and anxiety pricking her pawpads like tiny insect claws. The more she thought about it, the more she believed she had seen some ghastly premonition from StarClan...one that warned of the broken future for Trickpaw and Promisepaw.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

_"Slip past the Twoleg and enter the lairs,"_ murmured Sunpaw. Shadowpaw nodded, wincing as a sharp branch poked her in the side. The group was crouched in a cluster of leafless bushes outside a large Twoleg wall.

"I don't see a Twoleg anywhere," she muttered. Sunpaw shrugged.

"In this weather? They wouldn't dare go out in this cold."

Shadowpaw shivered lightly, and Sunpaw draped his thick tail over her shoulders to warm her up. The dark queen purred, feeling warmth spread through her, not only from the furry tail.

"What's next?" Promisepaw asked.

_"Past Bearplace and Houndplace, don't give up hope,"_ Sunpaw hissed. "Well, since we're not in any danger of being seen by a Twoleg, let's find Moonchild."

Promisepaw gave the tail-signal, and padded from the bushes. She was followed by Wavepaw, then Sunpaw and Shadowpaw, with Trickpaw taking up the rear. Shadowpaw looked from side to side, hoping to see a friendly face peering out from behind the silver branches that made up shiny dens. She saw nothing, and kept walking.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Starchild nuzzled the cool, white shape of her mother sadly. The chubby fox kit sighed to herself, then turned her eyes up at the wall. She spotted her mother's entries to the astral charts. Placing her plump paw on the delicately carved runes, she read, "_When the river rises to meet the sun_...That's older than I am. That can't be useful." She ran her foot down further. "_Hope, Shadows, Fire, and Water_...Still not recent enough. This. Here we are."

Starchild squinted closer at her mother's final carving. "What? This one is not a prophecy...it's an actual account..._My dearest child...The star-cats have called me. I can only leave you this one final message...Go with the living cats. The Men will take my body when they awaken. Take my wisdom quickly...Aid the living cats...remember that unless they are brave, they will not survive..."_ The milky gray fox burst into a wail of anguish. "Motherrrr!"

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

"What a shame. Arabella is dead." Jim's voice carried undertones of sorrow. "I really liked that old fox. She was smart, whatever anyone else said. I swear I saw her writing on the walls of her cave."

"Well, we all knew that day was going to come," Amy soothed. "I'm just grateful that we were able to wean the cub before she went. Take the body and put it in the freezer."

"Why?"

"Someone's coming to cure her pelt. We're going to display it in the arctic exhibit along with the little igloo and penguin toys. Maybe display it so people can touch it. She was a soft thing."

Jim carefully lifted the Arctic fox's body from the back of the den. He carried it close to his chest and buried his nose in the long, snowy fur. Amy gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "It's gonna be okay," she murmured. "Don't worry. She's in a better place now."

The young man sighed. "Well, at least we won't be without a fox," he said, trying to sound optimistic. "What did the little kids call her? That kindergarten group we had come through when she was born?"

"They wanted her name to be Eskimo. We let them have their way while they were in earshot, but eventually we decided that was her name. Kinda cute, I think."

Jim nodded and let Arabella's body come to rest in a small box in the freezer. Taking out a Sharpie, he wrote 'Arctic Fox—corpse' in bold letters. Then he let the door fall shut and walked away, grieving for his lost fox.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

"Here's the place," Promisepaw panted. "Here's where we meet Moonchild."

"How do you know?" Shadowpaw asked curiously.

"It's just a feeling I have...hard to explain, really."

_"Soon you will find her, but wait until night...When the silver moon shines down, howl at her cave,"_ Sunpaw recited. "It should be getting to be time soon."

Shadowpaw cast the skies a swift glance. "But there's all those clouds. What if there's no moon? Should we howl anyways?"

"Why not?" Wavepaw came up behind his companions and shrugged. "It's the only way, right?" He turned to Trickpaw, a question in his gaze. Trickpaw turned his head away.

"Sure." He reminded Shadowpaw of a cornered muskrat spitting between its front teeth.

The shivering cats sat down to wait for any signs of thinning clouds. Promisepaw offered they howl at even the slightest clearing of sky. Wavepaw suggested that they howl now and get it over with. Sunpaw said that if Wavepaw didn't stop trying to rush this mission, he—Sunpaw—would feed him to a bear...whatever a bear was. Shadowpaw did not say anything, but noted Trickpaw's pricked ears. She listened in as well, and heard the sound of soft, sleepy breathing.

"Wait until night means wait until night," she whispered. "Because Moonchild and Starchild are asleep right now."

Just then, a ray of pure light cut through the dim darkness that surrounded the apprentices. Shadowpaw stood up and tipped her head back. She felt every hardship she had faced alone built up in her throat: Thornheart's betrayal, running from SwampClan, watching Breezepaw and Sixclaw be driven from their birth Clan. They manifested themselves into a sound unlike that of any cat. A chilling, frozen howl. All around her, she heard the sounds of her companions give voice to a howl of their own.

She could hear Wavepaw yowling words: Ripplepaw, Snailpaw. Sunpaw gave voice to a cry of longing for warm, lush meadows. Trickpaw's howl was filled with anger at forbidden love. Promisepaw's howl nearly tore her heart. Shadowpaw could hear broken dreams, shattered love, and uncertainty of future. From the shadows behind the wall in front of the cats came another howl. It was high and cold, and spoke of frozen grief, icy loneliness, and snowy disbelief.

It is strange how much can be heard in the voices of friends, if only one takes the time to listen closely.

The cries, rather than jangle ears and ring discordantly, harmonized perfectly, rising and falling in a song of mixed birth and true unity. Shadowpaw closed her eyes and felt all her soul go into that single howl. Emotion flooded from her paws through her body, and out her open muzzle. She never wanted this moment to end. It was as though everything she had kept hidden was being brought to light, and everyone present understood her inner feelings.

Slowly, steadily, Shadowpaw felt the rush slip from her grasp. Her voice became softer, as did the howls of those around her. Even the frost-tinged voice of the stranger faded into silence. As one, and in perfect time with each other, every creature stopped. Silence fell, but it was a calm, welcome silence. It felt purifying for the dark she-cat.

The silver light flooded the frosty stretch of ground, blazing brightly. Shadowpaw blinked up at the figure of the creamy gray creature that stood at the top of the wall. "Welcome," the arctic-voiced animal barked. "Please, come inside my den and rest. I've been waiting for you all to arrive."


	28. Chapter 26

"You're...you're a fox!" Sunpaw breathed in disbelief. He gazed curiously at the blue-gray creature before him. And he was right.

Everything about this animal spoke of vulpine heritage. Her muzzle was slender and long, her ears wide and pointed at the tips. A brush of milky gray fur stuck out from her hindquarters. The blue fox nodded. "Yes. I am called Starchild, daughter of the late Moonchild."

"Moonchild is dead?" Promisepaw mewed quietly. "That can't be!"

"How I wish it was not, young one. Come, enter my den. I will tell you everything." Sunpaw looked from cat to cat. Shrugging, he made an easy leap onto the top of the stone wall. Starchild peered from between the silver branches. "Can the rest of them make it up here on their own?" she asked.

Sunpaw looked down, feeling a little guilty. Of course. How could he have forgotten that no cat had legs as long as his were? The golden tom turned back and crouched down. "Someone jump. I'll catch you." He looked from cat to cat. "Shadowpaw?"

His dark friend made an easy, grassy ripple of motion and shot up towards the stone wall. Sunpaw caught her scruff and pulled her easily up to stand beside him. "How'd I do?" she whispered to him. Sunpaw purred.

"I said I'd make you into a MeadowClan cat," he replied in a low voice. "Those jumping lessons really did their stuff. Wavinggrass couldn't have done it any better, and he was taller than I'll ever hope to be." Wavinggrass was the MeadowClan deputy when Sunpaw had left.

A few more leaps and tugs later, the rest of the cats had reached the ledge, even the short-limbed Promisepaw. Starchild swished her tail for the cats to follow her. Sunpaw padded along the barrier of silver branches behind the fox, wondering how they would be able to get in to be with her. The answer came in the form of a dead end.

"The Men who feed me go around that wall," Starchild informed them. "You will see a small hatch, almost like a door. Place a paw on the handle of the hatch and push down. While you are pushing down, have a friend push the hatch in. I will greet you at the tunnel."

Sunpaw shrugged as the fox departed. He looked from one apprentice to the other. "Well...er, let's get a move on, shall we?"

Promisepaw closed her eyes happily and purred. Shadowpaw nodded and leapt down. Wavepaw eyed the jump carefully, a flicker of fear running through his eyes, as if he couldn't believe he was about to do this. Trickpaw shoved past both Wavepaw and Sunpaw and dropped down without a word. Sunpaw could still see the angry fires in his gaze, and resolved to avoid the tomcat. Trickpaw seemed bent on making enemies out of everyone.

Sunpaw padded up to the cold, silver wall and sniffed it. There was the faint scent of Twolegs—was that what Starchild had meant by 'Men'? He spotted the handle and stood up on his hindpaws, forcing it down with his full weight. Promisepaw meowed, "All right, everyone! Push!"

The force of the combined apprentices took Sunpaw off guard. He had forgotten he and his companions were almost full-grown warriors, capable of great feats of strength. The hatch was shoved open, and Sunpaw toppled down head-first into the tunnel. He sat up, blinking in the low light. Shadowpaw licked behind his ears. The golden tom got to his paws, shaking his head rapidly to clear it.

"Come on!" Promisepaw insisted. "We're so close! Let's get there as soon as we—Oop!" She broke off in a startled mew as Starchild appeared at the end of the tunnel.

"I decided to join you outside," she told them. "After all, I've yet to roam free like my mother." The loss was raw in her yellow eyes. Promisepaw nodded and turned back to the entrance. Trickpaw held the door open with his lean body. His gaze softened when it met hers, but Sunpaw could see the unease of their fight lingering in both pairs of eyes: they wanted to be together, but hadn't reconciled enough to do so.

Starchild sighed quietly, murmuring to herself as she padded out into the cold midnight. She seated herself in a small drift of snow and gazed intently at the wandering cats. "And so...we begin," she said. "Tell me, weary travelers, what brings you to my den on such a night as this?"

"We have received a prophecy from our warrior ancestors," Promisepaw explained. "_Hope, Shadows, Fire, and Water will come together and save the Promised Clan._ We've come from far away to see you and ask you how we can save our Clan."

Starchild turned her stare to the silver moon, which was now fully visible in the clear sky. Sunpaw shuddered with awe. Who was this fox, who seemed to be so wise, and yet so young? She looked back at them. "I fear that I may not be of much help. I can only ask of you this much: What have you faced, what dangers have you seen, to make you worthy of my advice?"

Sunpaw thought this was thoroughly arrogant, coming from a fox who was hardly bigger than Shadowpaw. Just who did she think she was, some great seer sent by StarClan? He sat down sullenly, curling his thick tail around his paws to keep them warm. Starchild looked from cat to cat. "Do you answer me? Do you have what I seek?"

"What...what do you seek?" Promisepaw asked nervously.

"I seek a sign of your courage and loyalty to one another," Starchild replied calmly. Trickpaw jolted, his eyes growing wide as if he had realized something important. He looked from Sunpaw to Wavepaw to Promisepaw, then down to Promisepaw's basket. Sunpaw watched the golden-ginger tom as he slipped over to the basket and pulled something gleaming and white forth.

"Our courage and loyalty?" Shadowpaw asked incredulously. "Look at our paws, scarred from running. Look at our muscles, stronger than before. Look at our eyes! Can you not see what we have seen?"

Trickpaw dropped his object on the ground in front of Starchild, tail held high with confidence. "We bring you this," he meowed. "The fang of a badger, ripped from its mouth by this cat's paw." He swept his tail towards Promisepaw. "She was defending me when the creature attacked."

Starchild studied the fang carefully, nodding to herself occasionally. Promisepaw turned to Trickpaw, her eyes gleaming with respect and love. Trickpaw turned his head away, ashamed—it seemed to Sunpaw—to see her gaze. Finally, the blue fox nodded. "Yes," she murmured. "Yes. This is what I seek. Come with me, brave warriors, great Children of the Star-Cats. You are welcome to stay in the den of Starchild."

Sunpaw heaved a soft sigh of relief and padded up beside Trickpaw. All the others were licking his ears and telling him how brilliant he was. Sunpaw leaned down and whispered, "Promisepaw's got her eye on you again. Go back to her."

"She doesn't deserve me," was the reply he got.

"Yes she does. Stop being such a stuck rabbit and acknowledge her!"

Trickpaw's eyes were focused on the ground, though, and he didn't say anything more. Sunpaw shrugged it off to walk with Shadowpaw. The dark apprentice purred to see him, and the pair padded side by side back to Starchild's den.

Once inside, Starchild deposited the badger fang alongside another fang in a small depression in the icy wall. Sunpaw peered curiously at the collection of teeth until Starchild cleared her throat. She waved her fuzzy tail toward a narrow passageway. "Down that tunnel, you will find small nests to sleep in," she barked. "I wish you restful sleep, and we shall speak again at midnight tomorrow."

Sunpaw was about to ask if there was any chance of food, but Shadowpaw nudged him in the direction of the tunnel before a word could escape his mouth. "Just go with what she says," she muttered. "We don't want to blow it after coming so far." Sunpaw merely nodded and curled up in an icy hollow with his friends. Sleep came over the gold-striped tom within minutes.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Starchild stayed at the entrance of the den—a den which was now hers and hers alone. She wasn't tired in the least, only curious. She could hear soft words being exchanged over near Houndplace, but it was too hard to tell what the words themselves were. A shiver passed down her spine, causing the fuzzy gray fur to rise briefly. Whatever it was...it was nothing good.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

"Pack ready?" Ocarina asked, tail doing an irritated dance in the snow. Greencough had killed off nearly all of the Alliance, leaving only Ocarina, Tempus, Maju, and Thief. Leader's black head nodded.

"Pack ready," he grunted. "But Pack larger now. Son of Leader bringing friends: Shadow, Bone Claw, Low Step. Good?"

"Good," Ocarina confirmed. More hounds meant more cats would be slain. Her situation only got better and better. The greencough had been but a minor setback, but at the same time, a benefit. Now the AoDs consisted of the strongest of the strong. Disease had weeded out the weaklings. "Leave tonight."

"Tonight." Leader slid easily out into the snowy landscape, followed by his chosen Pack: Nameless Barker, Follower, No Tail, and Blood Fang. Blood Fang hesitated before following his father to rally his wolves around him. When it was all said and done, eight wolves stood in the snow. Ocarina let out a low purr of approval.

"Pack follow Alliance back to territory. Show Pack where to hunt, eat Smallfurs. Show Pack where to hide. Follow Alliance." And she set out, the pack of wolves streaming out behind her in a fluid line of malevolence.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Blood Fang had everything planned out now. Yes. Leader would fall at night. Tonight. Bone Claw knew of berries, berries that would kill even the biggest wolf if he ate them. She would slip some into Leader's food, or perhaps claim them as some miracle cure for whatever would ail him. Leader was old enough. Sooner or later, his joints would hurt. And then Bone Claw would strike.

She would take the fall, she swore. She was willing to die for her new Leader, Blood Fang. Without Leader, the Pups of Starsire would become uneasy, aimless. Blood Fang would be able to take the reins from there; being Leader's son, they would naturally pass right to him. The white wolf grinned as he skipped along the snowdrifts.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

In the silence and darkness of the arctic exhibit, two of the keepers were hard at work setting up their newest attraction. Arabella's pelt, cleaned and preserved, lay stretched out on a display box. The top had a small circle cut out of it so that inquiring children would be able to feel the gentle fluff of an Arctic Fox's fur. It hung on a wall for all to touch.

Their work done, the keepers slipped out of the exhibit to finish closing down the zoo. A stray ray of moonlight glinted on a plaque. "This pelt," it said, "belonged to our zoo's Arctic Fox, Arabella. The Arctic Fox is known for its white, winter pelt—a pelt that is used primarily in fox-fur coats for its thick fur and even coloring. Arabella has a single kit, who is still in this zoo. You may be lucky to see our little fox Eskimo padding around her enclosure."

It went on after that, listing all the organizations set in place to stop fox-fur trades, and thanking a certain zoo for donating their fox. Around it were pictures of the arctic fox in its natural habitat, the arctic fox with its kits, a cartoon of a fox refusing to make coats because it couldn't sew. Further along the display was a small setup of an Inuit driver at a dogsled in full coat and parka. Behind him was a stuffed wolf, glass eyes gleaming in the silvery light. Across from the wolf was a white-furred fox.

The fur was fake, but what most would never realize was that under the faux fur and stuffing was the skeleton of a very important fox.

Moonchild, forever standing guard over the exhibit with Leader's mother.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Sunpaw awoke to Starchild prodding him urgently in the side. "Wake up, Golden One! You must awake now! The hounds' cage is empty, and we must hurry!"


	29. Chapter 27

Trickpaw leapt to his paws before Starchild even touched him. He glanced wildly around, having hear her every word to Sunpaw. "Hounds...she was right." Shivers clutched him as he recalled the dream.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

No sooner had sleep closed Trickpaw's mind to the world than a white fox had appeared to him. She was taller than Sunpaw and thickly-furred like Queenie. Trickpaw had approached her, tail low. Some inner instinct told him to be as respectful as possible around this creature. The white fox had said nothing, only gazed at Trickpaw with her intense golden eyes.

It had been then that Trickpaw had noticed something was different about his surroundings. All traces of leafless trees, prickly bushes, and silver branches were gone, replaced with a swirling, wailing white. Trickpaw had shivered, feeling unnaturally cold. If this was a dream, why did it feel so foreign and icy? The lack of voices unnerved him. He spoke. "Who are you?"

"I am the Child of Moon," the fox replied, her voice even and cool, filled with that same snowy tone as Starchild's. Trickpaw shivered again.

"You're...Moonchild?"

"That I am. And you are the one with whom I must speak." Moonchild stood, swishing her tail for Trickpaw to do the same. The ginger tom had obeyed. "You have left your own world and entered my own. There is danger, danger unlike that which you have ever seen." A huge shape appeared in the swirling snow. "This is a hound, one I knew well in my life. Her name is Moonless Night, and she mothered your main foe."

Moonless Night was a massive, shaggy creature with black fur and wide, staring eyes. She barked something in a thick accent, her voice like the sound of snow falling from a branch. Trickpaw had stared curiously at her from behind Moonchild's white body. "What?" he mewed. "What did you say?"

"Said 'Fear pup. Fear grandpup.'"

Trickpaw blinked snow from his eyes. "Fear what?"

Moonless Night nodded to Moonchild and turned back into the blizzard, vanishing as quickly as she had appeared. The white fox turned to Trickpaw, her eyes calm. "Fear pup," she repeated. "Fear grandpup. Remember her scent, for it will help you find him."

"Wait...tell me more!" Trickpaw begged. "I can't do anything with what you've shown me. You've shown me a dead hound who can't speak straight. What's that going to help me with?"

But Moonchild's body was merging slowly with the falling snow. Soon only her eyes were visible. Her icy voice echoed in Trickpaw's ears: "There is something your ancestors forgot. _Hope, Shadows, Fire, and Water will come together and save the Promised Clan. _You know of this. But now I shall reveal that which was forgotten. Listen closely, for I shall not repeat..."

Her last words jarred Trickpaw's heart. _Listen so closely, for she won't repeat. This is what was meant by meeting Moonchild!_

"What? What did they forget?"

"_Divided loyalties will be made one, and Hope will fail._"

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Trickpaw blinked in the glare of the den. Starchild was pacing back and forth anxiously. "My mother, Moonchild, contacted me in my dreams," she said. "She said that the only way to stop the hound Pack was to travel with you. But first, we must claim something of hers. Something that should be mine."

The ginger tom shrugged and padded after her, followed by his Clanmates. Starchild led them down the tunnel that led outside, but rather than leave through that door, she turned to the left and padded down a small passage. "Where are we going?" Promisepaw asked. Trickpaw flinched at the sound of her sweet voice. He knew she would never be his, and now her love tortured him.

"We must enter the lair of the Men. I promise we will not be long."

Trickpaw padded after the blue furball, wondering what was going on. _Divided loyalties will be made one...and Hope will fail. Hope is Promisepaw. What could she possibly fail at? The chastity of the medicine cat? Will something kill her?_ His heart pounded nervously, and he failed to notice that Starchild had led him and his friends into a room heavy with the scent of Twolegs.

The milky gray fox padded up to a display case. She stretched up and placed a paw on the sturdy plastic. "Mother," she whispered in a choked voice. "What have they done to you?" She turned back to the cats. "Sunpaw. Is there any way you can get her pelt from this case?"

"You got it." Sunpaw stretched up and leapt onto another display, this one on the floor. He reached over and scored a long scratch down the seal of the box. "If some other cat wants to come up and help. One with strong claws."

"That's me!" mewed Wavepaw as he scrambled up to Sunpaw's side. Together, the two tomcats shoved the front of the case off. Sunpaw made the jump and snatched Moonchild's pelt from the box. He dropped it in front of Starchild. The young fox nodded her thanks and slipped the pelt over her head. Trickpaw blinked curiously. _Moonchild?_

Clothed in her late mother's pelt, Starchild did a passable imitation of the old fox. Starchild lifted her tail, at the same time lifting the pelt's tail. "Come. We must leave now."

**And now, I must ask you to use your wonderful imaginations and ignore the laws of physics and stuff like that. Now, we all know that given their late start, there is no way in science that the "Prophecy Fulfillers" could have possibly caught up with the Pack and beat them to the camp. However, this is not science. This is not fact. This is fiction. And in fiction, you can do anything—even defy the laws of physics. Which is what I'm about to do. Bear with me. ;)**

**Oh, and for those who didn't catch it, Moonchild's paws are sort of...tied together. So the pelt will stay on Starchild now. And not fall off. Like it would do if the paws weren't tied together. These short, incomplete sentences are driving me nuts. To the fanfiction!**

_We're catching up,_ Trickpaw thought over and over again. _We'll catch the Pack soon enough. And when we do, they'll pay for even thinking of destroying my Clan!_ He glanced briefly at Promisepaw running beside him. Her amber eyes held a warm glow. The ginger tom dropped his head again. He couldn't bear her anymore. He loved her...and she loved him...but their love was forbidden, and against the warrior code. And yet...there was another reason for his shame. He and the white queen held a dark secret.

Promisepaw was now holding Trickpaw's kits within her body.

The two young cats had mated a few days after they left Starchild's den, secretly and alone. No one else knew about the kits. Trickpaw relived the thrill of pride after the act had been completed, as well as the horrible guilt that had fallen immediately over both cats, in his mind. He swiped at a small plant in his fury. Why? Why had he done that?

The group of five cats and one fox had been traveling for nearly a moon, heading ever closer to PromiseClan territory. Trickpaw was grateful that Promisepaw's belly would not begin to swell for another few moons. The tom ran faster, pulling ahead to run beside Sunpaw. The gold-striped he-cat gave Trickpaw a friendly nudge.

"Something bothering you?" he asked in a low voice.

Trickpaw felt his heart twist painfully as he thought of his terrible secret. He shook his head firmly, paws trembling as they pounded across the mushy ground. Rain or snow had fallen on this stretch of moorland not too long ago, he decided. Behind him, Wavepaw stumbled and bounced high into the air. "Houndprint!" the silver cat yowled gleefully. Sunpaw looked back, nodding. Houndprint meant they had discovered the hounds' trail.

"We must be catching up with them," Shadowpaw meowed. "I think running through the night gave us an edge. One more night of that, and we should be right on their tails!" Wavepaw groaned, causing the others to purr happily. But not Trickpaw.

The former kittypet ran on leaden paws. Lately, he had been having second thoughts about Clan life. Was it really worth it? Yes, the Clan was held firm by its rules and beliefs, but they made everything so hard to do. He couldn't mate with the most beautiful she-cat. He had to hunt on an empty belly every day. He had to fight and risk his own life for a group of cats he was mostly unfamiliar with. Every day carried the threat of injury.

Kittypet life: Ah, how simple it was. You wake up and lounge around for a few hours. Then your housefolk feed you. You eat. More lounging. The occasional game of 'chase this' or 'explore that.' More food. More lounging. Sleep, possibly curled up in your housefolk's nest. The cycle repeated itself predictably and safely. Plus, the nest was always either warm and cozy, or cool and pleasant.

Kittypet. Clan cat. Kittypet. Clan cat. Trickpaw weighed the options. Kittypet. Clan cat. On one paw, you spend every day wondering how you're going to survive. On the other paw, you get food and water without moving a single muscle. Kittypet. Clan cat. Kittypet. Clan cat. Kittypet seemed more favorable. After all, his housefolk let him out every day. He could _pretend_ he was still a Clan cat, right? Right. Anyways, there was no rule that said Promisepaw and the others couldn't visit him, was there? Not that Trickpaw knew of. He nodded to himself, a portion of the weight lifted from his furry chest.

Kittypet it was.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Trickpaw lay back, licking his paws after a small meal. He looked from cat to cat. "I have an announcement to make," he meowed. Promisepaw jolted, fear filling her eyes. Trickpaw blinked affectionately to comfort her. "I've decided on something." He took a slow, deep breath to calm his rapidly pulsing heart. "I'm going back to being a kittypet after we've saved our Clan."

Promisepaw let out a choked mew. Shadowpaw leapt up, fur bristling angrily. Wavepaw's eyes were wide with a look of pleading. Sunpaw coughed on a piece of fresh-kill. Starchild merely observed calmly. Finally, Shadowpaw spoke. "I knew it!" she spat furiously. "Once a kittypet, always a kittypet! StarClan stop me before I rip your—"

Wavepaw shouldered her aside. "But _why_, Trickpaw? Is it us? Why would you even think of doing something so—"

Sunpaw butted in, "Are we not good enough for you? Is _PromiseClan _not good enough for you?" Rage flashed in the tomcat's ice-blue eyes, an emotion that Trickpaw had yet to see in him. "Why would you give up your place in our Clan for something as pathetic as being a—"

"Trickpaw...how...how could you?" Promisepaw mewed sadly. She gave her belly a sorrowful look, and Trickpaw wondered if she would eat some herb to kill their kits as soon as possible. Starchild stood in the middle of the squalling cats, a calm figure.

"Cease this fighting," she barked evenly. "It is getting us nowhere. I do not know the ways of the Clan, but I can see quite plainly that Trickpaw's decision is not welcome amongst his fellow cats. Therefore, I shall remedy the situation. Trickpaw," and she turned to him, "from this moment on, you will no longer be a part of our group. I can see that your loyalty does not lie with these cats, but with some other allegiance. You will go now to become this 'kittypet.'"

Trickpaw opened his mouth to argue, to plead his case and beg mercy from the young fox. But Shadowpaw swiped out at him, her claws slicing the corner of his muzzle. "Run, kittypet," she growled. Trickpaw spun around and fled. He scrambled out of the small cove where the group had sheltered for the night and stood, his eyes searching. Promisepaw. "I love you," he whispered softly. "I love you now and will forever. Goodbye, Promisepaw." Shadowpaw's claws snaked out of the opening. Trickpaw swiped them away and ran.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Tired ginger paws plodded along the ground as a tail of the same hue dragged behind them. Trickpaw's frenzied sprint had been reduced to a crawl. He hadn't slept or eaten in days, only ran. His head hung low in defeat. Giving a low wail of pain and loss, the young tom collapsed in a dizzy heap. He lifted his head painfully to the star-strewn sky. "StarClan," he breathed. "I give up. You win. I've broken all your codes and laws. Now I'm lost and alone. Take me now...I give you my spirit." He dropped his head back onto the ground, shivering feverishly.

A moon had he been fleeing his friends. In the last week, his world had fallen apart. He was haunted by visions of his night romp with Promisepaw, the she-cat's face hovering through his thoughts. He became tortured and ill. And now he felt himself starting to fade away. _I'll be with StarClan soon,_ he thought fuzzily.

He let his eyes close one last time and slowed his breathing. _Yes, yes, yes...let it end. Let it all end. Sweet StarClan, yes. It's almost over now. Any minute now, I'll be dead. I'll see my mother. I'll be with her now. Wonderful..._

A familiar-sounding rumble filled his ears, scattering thoughts of StarClan and death. Trickpaw opened one eye curiously and breathed a sigh of relief at the shape standing over him. He had no idea how he had made it, but he was home now.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

"Trickster? Where have you been all this time? I'd given up on ever finding you alive!"


	30. Chapter 28

Nameless Barker let out another moan of anger and loss, tipping her dark head back to the sky. Leader's shaggy corpse lay at her paws. The dark female gave voice to a howl of sorrow. Blood Fang joined her eagerly, more eagerly than he should have. He kept his wild eyes squeezed shut tightly to hide the joy that danced within them.

"Leader brave," Follower grunted sadly, nudging Leader's body with his long muzzle. "Leader fight many battles, kill many enemies. Miss Leader."

"Miss Leader, too," No Tail barked. The old wolf slumped down in the snow, shaking his head slowly. Follower sighed a wolf sigh.

"Leader dead," he said. "Follower is new Leader."

Blood Fang took a hesitant step backwards, mouth open. What? **_WHAT?_** Follower couldn't lead the Pack. No, no, no, no! That job should instantly fall to Blood Fang! Blood Fang should be the new leader! The white wolf gave a bark of protest. "Blood Fang Leader's son! Blood Fang be Leader!"

"When leader dies, Beta becomes Alpha," No Tail clarified. "Follower Beta. Follower Leader now."

Blood Fang shook his shaggy head furiously. "Leader tell Blood Fang 'Pup be leader after me' when Blood Fang was pup!" he lied angrily. "Follower disobey words of Leader? Leader watch from Starsire's cave. What Leader say when Follower disobey?"

Follower's eyes were set like cold flint. He strode over to Blood Fang and took the young wolf's muzzle in his own. The silver brute bit down, a little harder than normal. Blood Fang's tail flew between his legs as he crouched in submission. "Follower is new Alpha!" Follower roared.

"Follower!" the Pack howled together. "Follow-oh-oh-oh-er! Follow-oh-oh-oh-er!"

Follower snarled in Blood Fang's face. "Smell a rat," he growled. "Leader die at paws of own pup. Watching you, runt." Blood Fang assumed his best innocent look. Follower grunted and turned his back.

Blood Fang felt rage course through his veins. How dare he? How _dare_ he? _How_ dare he? _How dare he?_ Leading position always went to the leader's pups. Or did it? No Tail may have had a point. Oh well. Bone Claw still had those berries. Follower wouldn't last too long.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

"What Ocarina-Smallfur want with Blood Fang?" the white hound snarled. The tawny queen took a step away from his flashing fangs.

"Blood Fang smart," Ocarina praised. "Smart to kill Leader-Father. Leader-father stupid and old. Blood Fang should be leader now. Ocarina and Alliance-Smallfurs help Blood Fang become Leader."

Ocarina prided herself in having discovered the hounds' language. No pronouns except 'we' and 'us.' Use the hound's name instead of he or she. Verbs to a minimum. It wasn't too hard to grasp, really. Blood Fang grinned.

"What plan?" he asked hungrily. Ocarina purred. This would be easy. Just like ascending the ranks to take her mother's place. Flattery, ingenuity, and when that failed, threatening and blackmail.

"Follower not trust Blood Fang. Follower knows Blood Fang kill Leader. Follower trust Smallfurs." Ocarina leaned close, whispering the rest of her plan into the hound's ear. "Blood Fang and friends prepare killing berries. Alliance hunt prey, put Alliance-scent over prey, stuff with berries. Give it to Follower as gift. Follower dead soon."

"Blood Fang be leader!"

"Soon," Ocarina whispered. "Soon."

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

"You're not really going to go through with this, are you, Ocarina?" Tempus asked as he licked a hind leg. Ocarina allowed herself a smug purr. The albino tomcat bit his tongue to keep in a hopeless sigh.

"Of course, Tempus," Ocarina mewed sweetly. She padded over to Thief and placed a paw on the she-cat's neck. "And when Follower falls, the Pack will turn against Blood Fang. And when that happens," she unleashed her claws; Thief shuddered, "we'll defend him. We'll convince these idiots that Follower poisoned himself."

She dug her claws into Thief's neck. Scarlet blood trickled down the scruffy, ebony pelt. "We'll let Blood Fang ascend to his rank, destroy PromiseClan, and then we'll reveal the truth: Blood Fang killed Follower in cold blood, and we were threatened into taking the fall. With that, the Pack will become a whirl of chaos and just like that, we'll be rid of them all." Ocarina removed her claws from Thief's neck and started to pad away.

Thief heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Ocarina," she panted. "I though for a moment you were going to kill me." Ocarina stopped, turning back to the injured she-cat. An evil glint flickered through her dark eyes.

"Oh, believe me, dearie, I was," she meowed plainly. She tackled Thief, knocking the black she-cat onto her back, throat exposed. "And I still am. Your blood may attract unwanted attention from the Pack." She sunk her fangs deep into Thief's throat, ending her life instantly. Looking up at the remaining two toms, she stated, "You see? My plan is foolproof. It ends lives even before it takes place!"

Maju cast Tempus a incredulous glance, mouth slightly agape. His ripped ears gave a twitch of pure confusion. His whole body language stated, in bold, capital letters "**HUH?**" Tempus shook his head disapprovingly. Ocarina gave her bloodied paw a lick calmly as if to say "What? Kill my friend? Who says I've done that?"

"Well...I see your plan is, ehem, most effective," Maju ventured nervously, his green gaze not leaving Tempus for an instant. Ocarina purred and rolled in the bloody snow. She paused, sprawled out.

"I believe so," she replied. "Why? Do you not like it?"

"Love it!" Maju blustered frantically. "It's genius! Incredible! The work of a mastermind!" Ocarina nodded and continued to coat herself in Thief's blood. Maju looked back to Tempus. "Er...may I have a word with you? In..._private_?" he asked the white cat. Tempus shrugged and padded off into the bushes.

**Oh, and in case you're wondering, Ocarina has gone completely sociopathic. That's why she's rolling around in her friend's blood. She is really insane. Someone put this cat in a frickin' straightjacket!**

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Tempus staggered into the clearing where the Pack lounged after their meal. His red eyes were wild as he swayed on his paws. "A sign!" he yowled in a clear, high voice. "A sign from Starsire!" The Pack gathered close around him. Tempus was well-respected, and believed by most of the Pack to be sent from their ancestors.

"What Starsire say?" Follower demanded. Tempus stopped in front of the silver wolf. He rocked gently back and forth.

"Beware Blood Fang!" Tempus howled in the same unearthly pitch. "Beware pup of Leader! Trust only in Smallfurs!" He gave a wild scream and fell back in a fake swoon.

The next day, Ocarina presented Follower with a rabbit. "Gift from the Smallfurs," she meowed. "Follower is now true leader. Young, juicy prey good for cold weather." Follower nodded his gratitude. Ocarina gave a respectful nod and padded away. Once concealed in the brush, she gave her paw a lick, as if trying to taste Thief's blood.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

"Maju, have you gone completely mad?" Tempus spat. "What you are suggesting is completely irrational!"

"If it keeps me safe from Ocarina, then I'll do it," Maju retorted. "That crazy she-cat's got bees in her brain! She's completely mad! You saw how she killed Thief without remorse. She and Thief were raised together! They were closer than littermates! Ocarina is insane!"

"But to join the Clan...In the name of Bone Marrow, you're madder than she is!"

Maju's shoulders stiffened. "I may be. But if that's what it takes to survive, then I'll do it. I'm not exactly Ocarina's favorite cat. It's only a matter of time before she gets _me_."

Tempus's tail sketched a silent figure in the air behind him as he thought. Ocarina trusted him, yes, but for how much longer? He couldn't deny the fact that his leader had been getting steadily madder. In a few days, that old trust may mean nothing. Becoming a Clan cat may very well be the only solution to survival. The albino tom sighed. "You're right, Maju. And though it pains me to say this, it's the only way."

"I knew you'd see things my way," Maju meowed, nodding. "We'll leave tonight."

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Ocarina scattered deathberries around Follower's body, purring to herself as she went about her gruesome task. She stepped back to admire her work. "Ah, Mother...I know you watch me from infinity. I hope you see the genius in my plan...your vengeance has come...soon you will be avenged."

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Riverstar pushed her hackles straight into the air. "Maju," she mewed. "What brings you here?" Beside her, Sunface unsheathed his claws. The gray she-cat didn't stop him. She recalled how Sunface had battled with Maju when he was just an apprentice. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

"Riv...Riverstar," Maju wheezed. "Please, I need to warn you...Ocarina has gone mad! She's assembled a Pack of hounds to destroy this Clan. To av-avenge...Bo-Bo-Bo..."

"Bone Marrow," Riverstar finished. "I knew she was unstable, but I had no idea...Is this what StarClan warned me of?" She shook her head firmly. "Very well. What do you want in return? You must want something from our Clan."

"Shelter," Maju pleaded. "Oc...Ocarina will kill both of us if she discovers, and even if we hadn't come here, she would still murder us. She killed one of her own: a she-cat, Thief."

Riverstar's whiskers gave a disgusted twitch. The PromiseClan leader bent down by Maju's sleek head. "Follow Sunface to a safe den." To Sunface, she meowed, "Hide these two in the elders den. I have a few words for our Clan."

"How can you be so calm?" Sunface asked as he supported Maju and Tempus with his broad shoulders. At first, Riverstar didn't answer him. The blue-gray queen gazed at thin air, her tail lashing behind her. Finally, she spoke.

"I must. Otherwise the Clan will be in an uproar, and cats will be hurt by their own denmates. Hurry, Sunface." She raced to the Tallrock and cleared the top in a single, fluid bound. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Tallrock for a Clan meeting!"


	31. Chapter 29

Promisepaw jolted awake at a twinge in her belly. She gazed with mingled love and fear at her flank. He stomach had swollen slightly over the last moon. Not enough to be noticed by any cat but herself, it seemed. She sighed and laid her head back down.

The group of cats was within a day's walk of their camp. So far, they had outdistanced the Pack, as the shouts of "Houndprint!" had long since faded away. The others were excited, infected with happy feelings of homecoming. Wavepaw and Shadowpaw had engaged themselves in a playful fight earlier that evening. Promisepaw had remained sullen and quiet in the corner.

_Trickpaw...I miss him. He was so brave, so loyal, so true. He loved me...and I loved him. But returning to the life of a kittypet? Unthinkable! Now I'm alone, a pregnant queen with no father for the kits she shouldn't have in the first place!_ She sighed. _I can't go on like this. Maybe if I'm lucky, the battle will end my life._

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

"I don't want to do this," Kenya mewed. "These kits are my kin! This isn't right! There must be some other way!" She turned to Brightstar. "Please," she begged softly. "Brightstar, don't make me do this. These kits are your kin as well! Can you stand by and let this happen?"

"I must," the yellow tom grunted. "It hurts me as well. She is my granddaughter. But she has broken our code, and for that, she must be punished."

Kenya shook her head, eyes wide with pain. "I can't. I can't," she squeaked in a tiny voice.

"Then I shall," a massive tomcat snarled, rising up from the ranks of StarClan. Kenya gave a shrill yowl of alarm and leapt down the Sightpool. The silver water parted and allowed the starry queen entrance to the living world.

Kenya dropped down neatly outside the small den where the cats slept. She padded inside, sniffing for that one particular scent. She detected it easily: Promisepaw. The astral tortoiseshell slipped over to the white cat's side. She peered within. Three kits—or what would be kits someday—lay nestled up within her belly. Kenya sighed. They were so precious. She could see down into their very futures.

Two toms and a she-kit. The toms would be identical: ginger with white tails. The she-kit, however, would be pure white, with a soft, sleek pelt. Her eyes would be mismatched, one amber, one pale blue. The toms would both grow to be lean like their father, while the female would be sturdy like her mother. The she-kit would have the best sight of them all. All of this was carefully planned and hidden in the kits' tiny bodies.

**In case you didn't realize it, Kenya was looking at their DNA.**

Kenya took a deep breath. "I must," she reminded herself, and reached in with a paw. She tapped the first tom-kit. Her heart gave an anguished jerk as his minute body withered and died. She tapped the second tom. He too was killed. When it came to the final kit, though, Kenya felt a tug on her tail. The Sightpool was starting to refill, and her portal to StarClan would soon close up. She whisked her paw over the she-kit and left, taking it for dead.

But the final kit was not killed. Her future was rewritten by that light brushing-over. Her fur color was changed to soot black, and became scruffy and rumpled. Her clear sight was to be clouded by blindness from birth. She would keep her strong body, but it would be crippled, with a kinked tail and a lame paw. This new persona acquired, the surviving kit curled into a tighter ball to develop and grow, preparing for birth when the time arrived.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Kenya shook her pelt all over, scattering water from the Sightpool. Brightstar gave her head a gentle lick, but she pulled away, flattening her ears angrily. "You monster!" she spat. "Killing innocent kits! Is this the StarClan forest cats worship?"

"Follow me, Kenya," Brightstar meowed. "Follow me, and I will show you all."

Kenya gave a low rumble of general disapproval and plodded after Brightstar. The two cats seated themselves beside the Sightpool. Brightstar lapped a small bit of the water up, and the future appeared.

"We called you back before the final kit was killed," he explained, while Kenya gazed in awe at the rippling images. "This kit has a destiny all her own. You see, while she will cause her mother much dismay, her role is an important one." Kenya gasped as the silver water started to turn red and the scent of blood wafted out of the pool. "We have not received a prophecy, but we expect one once she is born."

Kenya merely stared, mouth open in sheer amazement. Brightstar gave her a gentle lick, which she did not avoid this time. The huge tom who had threatened the kits before now padded up with the toms beside him. They were grown and everything their future had predicted for them. Kenya turned to face them.

"We will always be here," the first assured her.

"Even though you ended our lives, we feel no bitterness," his brother added.

"They will be called Whitetail and Whiteclaw," Brightstar meowed. The twin tomcats dipped their heads in assent. "Kenya, StarClan are not evil. The things we do may be considered evil by our living brethren, but they do not realize the future we have planned for them. Remember this." A glimmer of humor entered his eyes as he added, "Because you'll be with us for a very long time."

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Promisepaw opened one eye. The kits had stopped jostling in her belly for once. But she was filled with sudden dread. They should still be bumping around. Something was wrong with her pregnancy, and Promisepaw didn't feel brave enough to tell anyone. She bit her lip and got to her paws. Shadowpaw and Sunpaw were stirring around her, while Wavepaw let out a loud, fake snore.

"We must hurry!" Starchild urged them. Promisepaw whirled around. The young fox was seated at the entrance of the cave, her mother's fur billowing around her. "The Pack is on the move, and I fear that they may overtake us!"

Her words caused all the young cats to bolt fearfully out of the den and over the frozen ground. Promisepaw found the rest falling behind her. _They think I can lead them into battle, but I'm too cowardly to even admit my mistakes!_ she thought bitterly. She thought briefly of Trickpaw, his shimmering coat rising and falling as his muscles pushed and pulled under the fur. For a moment, she fancied he was running alongside her. A hard right to avoid a fallen tree scattered the image from her mind.

"Slow down, Promisepaw!" Wavepaw yowled. "We'll be worn out before we even get to camp!"

Promisepaw slowed her mad dash, but only just. The others dragged themselves up behind her. It was then that the white queen realized just how hard she had been pushing herself. Steam rose from her open mouth as she panted fiercely. Her heart hammered hard against her ribs. She stopped without warning, and a wail escaped her throat. Her heart was breaking. Trickpaw. She needed him now.

Starchild licked her gently. "Rest. I was wrong. The hounds have not yet moved. But I feel a great evil starting to stir the forest." She lifted her muzzle to the wind. "Many lives have been lost already, and many more are to be lost soon."

Promisepaw felt the words crash down on her ears like heavy thunder. She knew her Clanmates would die. She wanted to keep running, but a heaviness in her belly kept her down. She panted harder, feeling sick. _How much longer can I keep this up?_

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

"I think she's starting to wake up," Sunpaw mewed.

Promisepaw couldn't recall ever going to sleep. Warm darkness had been pressing around her, but now it was starting to fade. She reached out with a feeble paw to try and snag it, to bring it back around herself.

"Definitely," Wavepaw confirmed. "Promisepaw, if you can hear me, say something."

"Something," Promisepaw muttered bluntly, blinking open one eye. Wavepaw heaved a sigh of relief. "Wh-what happened?"

"You just passed out, out of nowhere!" Wavepaw meowed. "You scared all of us. Now, can you get up? How many paws am I standing on? What color is Sunpaw's fur? What Clan are you from? Where—yawp!" He broke off in a startled yowl. Promisepaw sat up, shaking her head dizzily. Shadowpaw braced her with a dark shoulder.

"Can you make it to camp?" she asked. "We're almost there."

"I'll...yeah." Promisepaw lurched forwards, supported by her friends on both sides. "Yeah. Just...time. Can...make it..."

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

What a shame. Poor Follower. The loss of his friend Leader, coupled with crushing responsibility, had caused him to eat killing berries. The rabbit in his cold paws bore the scent of not Blood Fang, but of Smallfurs. Seemed to be a gift, one that Follower used to visit Starsire in his cave. Oh well. No other wolf but Blood Fang wanted to lead the Pack.

The Pups of High Tail moved on, leaving behind Nameless Barker and No Tail. Along with Ocarina-Smallfur, the glorious leader, Blood Fang, led his Pack to victory.


	32. Chapter 30

**And now, the climax! Grab popcorn and Warriors plushies! I have Firestar, Sandstorm, Yellowfang, Cinderpelt, Mousefur, Tallpoppy, Birchkit, Brokenstar, Tallstar, Runningwind, and Tigerstar (mine). I will now proceed to draw this out and milk it for all it's worth. So snuggle up with your chosen plush (or bring one of your own) and get ready for the final action! (goes off to pop up tons of popcorn for all her readers, but squeezes Tigerstar's belly first)**

**Tigerstar: Keep your eyes open, Fireheart. Keep your ears pricked. Keep looking behind you. Because one day I'll find you, and then you'll be crowfood. **

**Hee! I love that! My Tigerstar plushie has eight action phrases! Ooh! Don't you wish _your _Warriors plushie did that?**

Wavepaw was the first to scent PromiseClan. The silver tom bounded ahead, sniffing airily. His tail rose up and curled into a delicate twist. Without another word, he bolted towards the camp entrance. All thoughts of his friends were lost in the sheer excitement of returning home at last. He let out a wild howl.

"PromiseClan! ATTACK!" the voice of Sunface yowled. Wavepaw skidded to a halt, scrambling back up the hill. His green eyes flew wide with terror, and the minute he spotted Sunpaw, he crouched behind the muscular tom, shivering.

"Sunface!" Sunpaw called. "Sunface! Call off the attack! It's us!"

Wavepaw slipped out nonchalantly to stand beside Sunpaw. The golden-striped he-cat batted Wavepaw with a sheathed paw, muttering, "Coward." Wavepaw stuck his tongue out impudently.

Sunface strode towards the young cats. The PromiseClan deputy's eyes were warm, but filled with fear. "Shh!" he hissed. "Keep your voices down! We don't know if the hound Pack is close by or not. Follow me."

Wavepaw's tail gave a confused jerk, a sort of 'something is really not okay here' twitch. Sunpaw nodded his agreement. Slowly, the group padded after the ginger warrior. Sunface kept speaking in a low meow.

"We were visited three days ago by two rogue cats. They warned us of their leader, Ocarina, a she-cat gone mad, who was bringing a hound Pack to destroy us. Ever since, we've been fortifying the elders den and hunting half the fresh-kill in the forest." He turned back, tawny eyes sympathetic. "I know you must have so many stories to tell us, and I'm sorry you won't get the chance to do so for a while yet."

"We...understand," Sunpaw mewed hesitantly.

"And I think you probably won't get the welcome you were expecting. Don't be surprised if no cat notices you're here. The youngest, eldest, and weakest are sheltering in the elders den while those who can fight are brushing up on their tactics. We're all tired, stressed, and half-mad with anxiety." He sighed. "So nice to be home, isn't it?" he asked sarcastically.

"Er, very," Shadowpaw murmured. Wavepaw saw her tail do the water-adder twitch again. He wondered briefly if this was all some sort of joke, or perhaps a dream. Yeah, a dream. That would be nice, wouldn't it? Sunface stopped dead, then turned back around to study the cats following him.

"Where's Trickpaw?" he asked. Wavepaw studied his feet intently. Shadowpaw gazed up at the cloudy skies. Sunpaw patted a frost-encrusted fern frond. Starchild looked from side to side. Promisepaw moaned softly. "Ah. Not here. The call of the Twoleg nest too strong? We'll miss him. I liked Trickpaw. Good cat, pleasant disposition. I hope he comes back to us."

"Sunface," Shadowpaw meowed, stepping forward, "we need help. Something's happened to Promisepaw, and we think she may be ill. Plus, we desperately need to speak privately with Riverstar. Can you arrange that?"

Sunface looked amused. "I'm not PromiseClan deputy for nothing," he purred. "Yes, all that is possible. But only if we hurry." He turned back around and padded swiftly into the trees. Wavepaw looked from cat to cat.

"Is it just me," he asked, "or did Sunface totally miss the fact that we have a fox with us?"

"It's not you," Sunpaw growled, his head low. "I noticed it, too. You have to remember that the Clan's probably scared witless. Imagine the rogues' descriptions of hounds. What cat _wouldn't_ be petrified by that? I'm just glad we beat the Pack here."

There was a murmur of agreement from all present. Wavepaw quirked his tail in the direction Sunface had left in and padded after him. His left ear swivelled back to catch his Clanmates' whispered conversation.

"The forest is so quiet," Shadowpaw mewed. "I know it's leaf-bare, but you'd expect there to be at least some cardinals and a few late geese. But no. There's no life here. It's as empty as a PlagueClan warrior's heart."

"All the animals must have been scared off by the hounds," Promisepaw rasped softly. "We must be the only ones left in the forest." Her fangs rattled as she shivered. "It's too quiet. I don't like it."

"The calm before the storm," Starchild whispered. "Though it won't be quiet for long. Once the hounds are here, you will not be able to hear yourself think."

Wavepaw turned back. "All right, here's what I say we do. Make yourself noticed. StarClan knows if you'll ever see these cats alive again." He saw the fear in their eyes, but kept going. "Speak to your friends, profess your love, tell them how much they mean to you. We're going right into the hunter's jaws here, let's do it with pride."

To his surprise, Shadowpaw nodded. "You're right, Wavepaw," she meowed. "Wow. I never though I would use the words 'Wavepaw' and 'right' in a sentence unless 'is never' was between them." Her remark set off a soft chorus of purring. Wavepaw took the teasing in stride. He was used to anything Shadowpaw could throw at him by now.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

"Bearpaw! Summerpaw! Greatpaw!"

"Owlfur! Owlfur!"

"Dogbark! Over here!"

"Hexmind! Mousefur! Come here!"

The young voices yowled names and pleas to friends and mentors. Many received fearful looks. Wavepaw padded right up to his mentor, Owlfur and pushed his muzzle against hers. "Owlfur, look at me," he begged as the she-cat's eyes started to wander. "Please! It's me, Wavepaw! Your Wavepaw!"

Owlfur blinked her large eyes slowly, almost dreamily. Her mouth dropped open. "Wave...paw?" she meowed. Wavepaw nodded.

"Yes. Yes, it's Wavepaw. Owlfur, say something!"

Owlfur gave her pelt a rapid shake, blinking hard. She gazed at Wavepaw in awe. "You–You're here," she breathed. "Wavepaw...you're back." She gave a joyful cry and tackled him. "WAVEPAW!"

Her outcry set off a chain reaction. Pelts pressed up against the returning apprentices, voices murmured names, purrs rose into the chilly air. Wavepaw sat beside Owlfur to watch.

"I'm Bearfur now," Bearpaw was saying. "This is Greatheart and Summerstream."

"You have no idea how scared I was for you," rasped Dogbark into Sunpaw's ear. "I was crazier than a kit with heat sickness! Where did you go? What have you seen? You're so tall now! Just like a true MeadowClan warrior! Firestar would be proud!"

"So you're really all right with it?" Shadowpaw asked nervously. Summerstream nodded calmly.

"It was just a crush for me. I can see it's true love for you," the golden warrior replied. "Great StarClan, Shadowpaw, I don't ever remember seeing you so talkative! You must have been through a lot."

A paw nudged Wavepaw. He turned to see Riverstar. "Where is Trickpaw?" she inquired. Wavepaw could see a flicker of worry in her eyes. "Is he...Did he...?"

"He returned to the life of a kittypet," Wavepaw replied. "We aren't sure why. He...didn't tell us." Riverstar nodded, then tipped her head back, giving voice to a cry of pain and loss. Wavepaw brushed his head against her shoulder as he had seen Sunface do. The leader calmed herself, diping her head in silent thanks to the silver tom. Then she let out a summoning cry:

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beside the nursery for a Clan meeting!"

Surprisingly, no cat was in a hurry to obey. They turned, but most kept one ear on their conversations. Riverstar sighed softly. "We are all grateful to StarClan for the return of our missing apprentices," she began. "But while we are celebrating, we must not forget the danger that looms above us: the Pack. We are leaf-bare-weak, and the Pack is many times stronger than we are." Worried murmurs broke out. "But we have something the Pack does not." She lifted her head. "STARCLAN!"

Cats bowed their heads solemnly as Riverstar flicked her tail down. "Great ancestors," the PromiseClan leader meowed, "guide us to victory. Keep our claws sharp, our heads clear, and our bodies strong as we face the Pack. We are PromiseClan. With your paws, protect us. With your claws, defend us. With your strength, aid us." She fell silent. Wavepaw was awed. Cats never prayed to StarClan like this. But it had the desired effect. He could see cats flexing their muscles eagerly.

Suddenly, the warrior called Creekflow jerked his head up. He leapt to his paws, fur standing straight out from his body in total horror. The mottled tom threw back his head and gave a shout that would send every cat racing to a ready position.

"PACK!"


	33. Chapter 31

Sunpaw felt his hackles rise stiffly along his spine. The hounds were here already? Starchild beside him gave a low growl deep in her chest. Sunpaw could see her mother's pelt draped across her back, lying so close that she looked like Moonchild. The young fox barked a harsh order in her frozen language. "Stay firm!"

Riverstar crouched beside her. "Oh, hello, there," she meowed. "I thought you were one of StarClan for a minute. Your name?"

"I am Starchild."

"Ah. The child of stars?"

"Yes."

"And you know the danger we face?"

"Yes. The leader of this pack shamed my mother, the very one who delivered him as a pup." Starchild's eyes blazed furiously. "And now I seek revenge for his actions. No cat is to kill the white hound."

Riverstar nodded, glancing sideways at Sunpaw. The apprentice saw respect glittering in her deep blue eyes. "When this is over, Sunpaw, I have a feeling we'll be blessed with many more warriors. It's about time, anyways." Sunpaw blinked. Was Riverstar so openly telling him this?

"They're coming closer!" Creekflow howled. Riverstar sat bolt upright.

"Mudpaw and Windpaw, into the elders den!" she ordered sharply. "Quartzfur, make sure those brambles are as thick as you can get them! No cat is to allow the hounds entrance into that den." She lifted her tail high like a banner, and the murmuring cats settled. Sunpaw felt a presence beside him.

He didn't have to look to know that StarClan was beside him. A soft voice murmured _Fire is rising, leaping into the air...but there can be no light without shadows. Guard her..._He turned to see Shadowpaw on his other side, her dark fur standing on end as terrible howls filled the air. She winked an amber eye at him.

The pack burst into the PromiseClan camp in a spray of broken branches, saliva, and sharp fangs. Sunpaw lunged at the hound running up beside the white one: a dark, black creature. The hound whimpered as Sunpaw's claws slashed across its snout. The ginger apprentice swiped out again, Shadowpaw coming up beside him and adding her claws to the mix.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Blood Fang threw back his head and gave a howl to encourage his pack. A paw slammed into his foreleg. The huge wolf looked down to see a fox smacking him. But wait...

"Old-fox?" he panted. The fox looked up sharply. It...it was the old fox. But she was dead! Old-fox had died not long before the Pack had made their escape. Blood Fang panted, but his pant carried the high pitch of fear and confusion. "No. No. No! Not old-fox! Old-fox dead, die long time ago!"

"I live again," the fox growled. Her voice was strong and young. Blood Fang whimpered fearfully. "I live to bring you down, whelp! Face me! Face me now, and meet your doom!" Her claws flashed, scoring across Blood Fang's cheek. "The gates of death call for you! Can you hear them howling? All your ancestors cry your name, pleading you to join them. Do not deny them!"

Blood Fang lashed out, catching the fox under the chin and knocking her away. He growled low and deep, the impressive sound making his paws shake with energy. "Old-fox not old, but old-fox still stupid!" he snapped. "Blood Fang never answer to old dead ones. Blood Fang never join them!" He leapt and landed with a paw on either side of the fallen fox.

Wait...this wasn't old-fox! He could see the white fur pulled back, revealing the silvery, paling pelt of cub-fox. Blood Fang snorted. He felt rage combined with shame, shame that he had actually been afraid of what he thought was old-fox. Cub-fox snarled, flashing her tiny fangs up at him.

"Growl, cub-fox," Blood Fang taunted. "Make Blood Fang angrier. Death come slowly, painfully. Leader-Father, Follower bigger than you. Blood Fang kill them easy. Cub-fox small. Blood Fang big." He panted, letting saliva from his tongue drip onto his captive's face. "Cub-fox good as dead." He opened his mouth to take her head in his jaws, only to feel persistent pain in his flank. He whipped his head around to see a Smallfur chewing away at him.

"Sunpaw! No!" cub-fox howled. Blood Fang turned from her to the Smallfur, Sunpaw.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Sunpaw heard Starchild's cry, but shook his head. "We've been through too much together!" he retorted. "I won't let him kill you!"

"It is for the best," Starchild replied. "You do not need me to win this battle. Besides, my sacrifice will distract the hounds long enough for your Clan to regroup and strategize." Before Sunpaw could protest, Starchild swiped her paw at Blood Fang and snapped, "Come and get some, you rogue!"

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Blood Fang felt the strike and snarled, baring his fangs. "Cub-fox die!" he barked, taking her throat in his jaws. He bit down hard and let the blood flood his mouth. His tail swished in a wag. No more foxes. They were dead.

Bone Claw spotted her mate's kill and padded over, a Smallfur still clinging to her tail and leg. She dipped her head and took a bite of the fresh meat. Shadow and Low Step joined them in their feast.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Sunpaw was stunned and saddened beyond words. He had grown to like the young fox in the short time he had known her. But he could not let her sacrifice be in vain. He turned to the group of shocked, openmouthed cats around him. "Starchild gave her life that we might fight," he meowed in a strangely calm tone. "She drew the hounds away to give us a moment to plan. Riverstar?"

"Four warriors to a hound," the leader commanded. "Chose warriors you know you fight well with, whose tactics you know by heart. Arrange yourselves in those groups now." She waited until her warriors had assembled into little groups. "All right. Let's give these hounds a fight that they'll take to hell with them." She threw back her head and yowled a battle cry.

Sunpaw padded up beside Wavepaw, Shadowpaw, and Promisepaw. He studied the white queen carefully, then shook his head. "You're swaying on your paws," he mewed. "Get into the elders den where it's safe. We can take on a hound between us, right?" The others nodded. He watched Promisepaw slink away towards the safe den after giving her a quick nuzzle.

But like Shadowpaw had with Trickpaw so many moons ago, Sunpaw came away from an innocent gesture with a heavy secret. Promisepaw's pelt was covered in the faint scent of pregnancy. Now he was even more glad that he had sent her away from the fray. If she died, her nameless kits would perish as well. With a furious scream, he charged the reddish-brown hound whose muzzle was dripping with Starchild's blood.


	34. Chapter 32

**And because I just looooove to screw with your heads, we'll cut away from the dramatic battle scene, if only for a short while. Hah. You know I love you. Oh, and this chapter gets a little sad, so...be warned. **

Trickster reached his forepaws up as he stretched out on his back. He grunted softly, feeling the power surge through his sturdy muscles once more. A peaceful sigh escaped him, and he flopped over onto his side. Nermal batted his scarred nose affectionately. "Uncle Tricky," he mewed, "what's it like _Out There_?" He flicked his fluffy gray tail towards the glass door. Trickster shrugged.

"Well, it's rough," he replied. "I mean, there's these huge monsters out there with gray fur and striped muzzles called badgers. That's what happened to my face. Luckily, my friends were out there to drive it off." Nermal's eyes grew wide, even though he had heard the story before. "And there's hounds, like dogs, only bigger. _Much_ bigger. They could swallow you in one bite!" Nermal shrank back fearfully. "But don't worry."

Nermal was Janie's new kittypet. He was a chubby gray furball with bright yellow eyes. Trickster had taken a liking to him, and made sure to tell him the best stories in the world about his life as a wildcat...with a few _minor_ truth-stretchings. Nermal gazed wide-eyed out the door as if expecting to see badgers and hounds waiting to gobble him up. Trickster purred wearily. "Seriously, you don't have to worry. There aren't any out here. They don't like Two—er, housefolk too much. You're safe."

Nermal gave a happy _mrrow_ of laughter and tackled Trickster's upturned belly. The golden cat gave a grunt of 'Oof!' "Tell me more about Promisepaw, Uncle Tricky!" he pleaded. "I wanna meet her! Is it true she's going to visit us someday?"

"What's to tell, Nermal?" Trickster asked. "You can recite my description by heart! And yes, but I don't know when exactly. We're going to have kits, and I think she's going to bring them to show me when they're old enough."

"Can I go out an' have lots-a 'ventures like you? Like, right now?"

Trickster sat upright, whiskers stiffening in some buried fear. "Er...not just yet. It's, er, cold out, and you'll freeze your paws off. And then the badgers and hounds will come and eat you all up!" He gave the young tom a friendly nuzzle. Nermal squealed happily.

"Oh, Uncle Tricky! You're so much fun!" Nermal squealed. Trickster purred, but his happy rumble soon trailed off.

"Er...I'm getting pretty tired, Nermal," he lied. "Think I'll take a nap." Nermal nodded. "Er, alone." Nermal nodded again. "With no one with me." Nod. Trickster sighed. "That means you have to leave the room, Nermal." Nermal looked a little hurt, but padded off regardless. Trickster heaved a silent sigh, then bounded up the stairs. The golden tomcat perched on the windowsill, gazing out at the forest.

This window was special: Trickster could see out far into the forest, and even see what he knew was the PromiseClan camp. He watched the leafless trees solemnly for any change in motion. He could see flickers of fur shifting through the dense branches. _The welcome party, no doubt,_ he thought. _You know, boring as it is, I think this is right for me. Besides, some cat has to teach Nermal the ropes, and I don't trust Cocoa, Sweetheart, or Soda to do it. But Promisepaw...No. She'll come and visit. She knows where my garden is. I just can't help wondering if—_

His thoughts were stopped by a slightly muffled cry. Trickster jumped, falling from his perch. No...that sound! A hound howl! He leapt back onto the sill to watch the branches quiver angrily as unknown creatures brushed roughly against them. The ginger tomcat bolted for the door, yowling and scratching the glass with his claws. Janie, with one paw clamped to the side of her head, yanked the door open. Trickster darted out, skidded to a halt, and howled, "Nermal! Don't you dare follow me!" He heard an angry spit, followed by the door sliding shut.

Trickster ran and cleared the fence in a streak of golden fire. He raced over to a small hill. As he ran up the slope, voices whispered and scents of cold ice, lonely space, and true cat whirled through his nostrils. _Divided loyalties will become one, and Hope will fail._ Hearing it from the mouths of StarClan, Trickster understood it all.

His loyalty to PromiseClan was mingled with his loyalty to Janie and his Twoleg nest. He had chosen kittypet over Clan warrior, uniting the loyalty. Promisepaw, Hope, failed. She had become hopeless without him. He had abandoned her. But no longer. At the crest of the hill, Trickster halted, coming to a complete stop.

This was it. This was the same hill he had climbed with Kenya in that dream so many moons ago. He recalled her words: _When you are faced with difficult choices, follow your heart. It will never lead you wrong._ Trickster closed his eyes and focused. His heart...what was it saying?

His heart was as divided as his loyalties. One side held the warmth of Janie's nest, the rattling of daily food, and Nermal's kitten voice squeaking "Uncle Tricky! Come back!" The other was filled with rushes of pride and fear mingled freely, the feeling of claws tearing prey-flesh, and the bonds tempered by shared dangers. Kittypet and warrior clashed in a battle for dominance. Out of the fray, came a clear image, shimmering like the surface of the Thunderpath in greenleaf.

Promisepaw.

Her amber gaze was filled with love and admiration for the cat she had led to her walk of life: Trickpaw. Trickster shivered. Kenya's voice came again. _When you are faced with difficult choices, follow your heart. It will never lead you wrong._

Now Trickster knew where to go. He knew what to do. He felt strength surge into his body and could sense the presence of StarClan around him. He opened his ice-blue eyes. Oh, yes. _Yes_. _Trickpaw_ gave a battle yowl and sped down the hill, paws pounding in the direction of the PromiseClan camp.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Such a journey would have worn out any cat. But Trickpaw felt StarClan running beside him and knew he could keep pace. The golden tom felt his journey-worn muscles push and pull rhythmically as he streaked along the ground. He reached the scent markers and kept running, but his heart did a gleeful leap. He was home. Nothing could stop him now.

Trickpaw pounded the frozen earth hard in his sprint. He ran with the speed of a LeopardClan warrior. His heart surged with the ferocity of a LionClan warrior. His mind was sharp as a TigerClan warrior's. He darted into the camp and sunk his fangs into the haunches of the first hound he could pounce on.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Bone Claw let out a wild whoop at the sudden fire that lanced through her hindquarters. Trickpaw threw his head back and yowled, "PromiseClan! Rally to me!" He dropped down and ran around to confront the hound he had bitten head-on.

As he ran, Trickpaw realized just how sad the camp looked. Blood was splattered everywhere. Clumps of fur and bits of broken claws lay strewn around. Warriors had fallen nearly everywhere. Trickpaw didn't know if they were dead or knocked out. He unsheathed his claws and swiped them across Bone Claw's muzzle. The hound yelped in pain.

"Ah, Trickpaw!" Riverstar's cheery voice meowed. Trickpaw saw the wounded queen beside him. "So glad you decided to join us. Are you here to stay?"

"Unless StarClan comes for me while I'm here, I'd like my warrior name when the hounds are gone," Trickpaw replied. "I'm sure Shadowpaw, Sunpaw, Promisepaw, and Wavepaw would like theirs as well."

Riverstar purred and leapt as the hound's face. "Oh, believe me," she growled. "Once these monsters are gone, the whole Clan will deserve a warrior name ceremony!" She sunk her thorn-sharp claws into Bone Claw's face. "Go help out any cat that needs it. I can handle this one."

Trickpaw looked wildly around. He spotted Shadowpaw, Sunpaw, and Wavepaw driving back a rusty-furred hound. He didn't want to impose himself on them, so he bounded off to look elsewhere, leaping over the body of Whitebelly. One look at the warrior's neck-angle told him the tom would never rise again.

A shrill yowl ripped the air, followed by a shriek of "MUDPAW! NO!" Trickpaw turned to see a huge, white hound gripping the body of a small brown cat in its jaws. He watched in horror as the hound jerked the young cat's head at a sharp angle. A crack rang out, and the hound dropped the young cat. Trickpaw realized that the brown cat had been pulled from the elders den, and ran to the scene. If such a small cat had been sheltered in there, there had to be more.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Blood Fang licked his lips contentedly, allowing sweet Smallfur blood to enter his mouth. A sound attracted his attention, accompanied by a searing pain in his shoulders. The wolf whipped around to see a lean Smallfur using his shoulders for chew-toys. He snarled angrily, the sound filling his deep chest. He wasn't about to let this puny thing ruin his good day! He bucked his back angrily like a caribou when a wolf lands on its back.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Trickpaw sunk his claws into the hound's shaggy shoulders and hung on. He was tossed like a leaf in a storm, but somehow managed to hold his grip firm. The hound slowed, panting. "Aw, worn out already?" Trickpaw mewed. "'Cause I'm just getting started!" He raked his other paw down the hound's forehead. Trickpaw was a fearsome beast, clawing and biting like ten cats. He swiped and slashed at Blood Fang.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Blood Fang gave a whimper. Bone Claw lay dead not far from where he fought. He had had some amount of affection for the pale wolf. A skinny black Smallfur stood proudly at Bone Claw's head, making a happy noise. Blood Fang snapped, flinging himself at the Smallfur.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

"Nighthawk! Look out!" Trickpaw howled at the top of his voice. Nighthawk turned. Slow...too slow. The white hound tossed the black warrior away with a hearty shove of his muzzle. Nighthawk slammed into the Tallrock. Trickpaw bit his lip. Nighthawk had always been very arrogant, and had never made a good impression on Trickpaw. But somehow, seeing him slumped on the ground negated all of that. Trickpaw felt a powerful feeling of revenge rise within him.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

"Nine-one-one. What is your emergency."

"Yes, I'd like to report something."

"'Something'?"

"Yes. Those wolves that went missing from the zoo...I think I found where they are. Wilde Woods."

"We'll send a dispatch immediately. Is anyone hurt?"

"Not that I know of."

"Your name, ma'am?"

"Janie Sang."

"We'll send a dispatch immediately. In the mean time, start calling friends and warning them to remain indoors."

"I will."

"Don't worry, ma'am. Everything's going to be all right. Try to calm down."

"I guess I'm just worried because my tomcat Trickster is out there."

"Don't leave any doors open for him to come back in. Don't leave your house. Just remain calm. Police and animal control are on their way."

"Thank you."

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Trickpaw felt sick to his stomach. The hound beneath him was yelping and howling. He slid from its back, falling with a heavy thud to the ground. "S-...someone get that...hound," he wheezed painfully. "It's..going for...the el...elders den..." He slumped down, paws to weak to support him anymore.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Blood Fang poked his muzzle back into the small cave. He could smell a pregnant Smallfur. And her pups bore the scent of the Smallfur who had been harassing him. He smiled and swept her out.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

"Promisepaw!" a voice yowled. Trickpaw leapt up. He could see the wild-eyed hound with a white bundle in its jaws. He gave a roar unlike that of any cat and flung himself at it.

"PromiseClan! ATTACK!" he shouted. Warriors stopped licking their wounds and rushed the last hound as one tidal force. The beast dropped Promisepaw and fled, tail between its legs.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Blood Fang could smell Low Step's fear-scent as he ran. The coward had taken off and left. Ignoring the fact that he had done the same, the white wolf ran on. His wounds stung as cold air whipped over them, and he winced. Oh well. At least he wasn't completely defeated. Like his father had promised to do, Blood Fang had killed Ocarina. The white wolf raced along the unfamiliar woods until a sharp pinpoint of agony struck his flank. He kept on, eyelids becoming heavier and heavier. Finally he stumbled and fell. A deep sleep came over his body.

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

"We've got Commodore," a man mumbled into his walkie-talkie.

"Great," a voice crackled back. "We found Silver and Inuit dead not far from the zoo, and someone else found Rusty and Shadow; Frosty and Kiba were around Silver's body. All we need is Angel."

"I think we know where she is. I still don't understand how eight wolves could escape like that." He shook his head.

"You don't have to worry about that," the voice replied. "Any sign of Eskimo?"

"Not a one."

"I'm not sure if we'll ever find her. That crazy naturalist might have taken her like he promised he'd do one day."

"Great."

"Well, we'll keep trying. Bring Commodore back with you. We have a holding pen ready for them until they finish fortifying the cage."

"Can do, Sarge."

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

"Promisepaw..." Trickpaw whispered softly. His tail dragged in the dust behind him, limp. "Promisepaw, wake up...The hounds are gone...We won...Wake up!" Seedgrowth nudged him aside. "Is...is she...?"

"No." There was relief in the medicine cat's voice. "She's alive."

Trickpaw gave the white queen's bleeding neck a gentle lick. An amber eye flicked open. "Trick...Trickpaw..."

"Yes."

"You came back..."

"Of course. I'm a PromiseClan apprentice. Loyalty to the Clan comes before anything else."

Promisepaw gave a weary purr. "I knew you'd understand the warrior code," she mewed.

**Awwww! You knew he was gonna go back and get the girl—er, she-cat. By the way, this chapter is long because I was listening to "Jesus of Suburbia" and "Homecoming" (long live Green Day!), and when I listen to songs while I'm writing, I tend to write for the duration of the songs. **

**Wilde Woods comes from the neighborhood where my dear buddy lives. What the actual name is, I won't say. ;) Think this is the end? Think again! Promisepaw is still pregnant, Shadowpaw and Sunpaw haven't done anything about their love, and—hell-o!—they all still have apprentice names! Think it's over? Think again!**


	35. Chapter 33

"Sunstripe," Shadowpelt meowed. Sunstripe turned to acknowledge her. "Where do you think Promiseheart vanished to? No cat's seen her in moons!" Sunstripe heaved a soft sigh. Shadowpelt wondered if he was preparing to divulge some great secret to her. She was right.

"Wavesong told me...She and Trickmind had a kit. They want to keep it just between us, you know, the 'Prophecy Fulfillers.'" Shadowpelt couldn't help a purr. "She left to raise their kit in privacy."

"When is she coming back? _Is_ she ever coming back?"

"I don't know...but I know she is coming back."

Shadowpelt lay her head sadly on her dark paws. She sighed. "I miss her. She's really the only she-cat who understands me...Not even Riverstar knows me so well." Sunstripe licked behind his friend's ears.

The two warriors lay back to enjoy the beautiful morning. It was a few hours before sunhigh. Shadowpelt let her ear come into contact with the moist earth. She took a deep breath in, but did not release it in a sigh. "Newleaf certainly got off to a good start this year," she mewed. Sunstripe nodded.

"It's wonderful to be warriors," he murmured. "We can spend a part of the day just doing," and he flopped down beside Shadowpelt, "nothing!" Shadowpelt hushed him. "Why? What's wrong?"

"I hear pawsteps," Shadowpelt replied in a soft voice. "Familiar pawsteps..." She sat bolt upright. "Promiseheart!" She flung herself into the brush, leaving Sunstripe alone to stare in awe. Sure enough, the dark gray she-cat emerged leading the cat who had been missing for almost half a year.

Promiseheart.

"Promiseheart!" Sunstripe mewed, pouncing in front of her. The white queen nodded, smiling serenely. She had her tail draped on the flank of a stocky kitten with black, scruffy fur. The young cat's mismatched eyes were glassy and cloudy. Shadowpelt realized the kit was blind.

"This is Sorrowkit," Promiseheart meowed. "Named after her tragic past. I love her regardless." She nuzzled Sorrowkit. "Her life will be difficult, but she's such a strong, bold kit. She will manage." Bending down, she whispered in the kit's ear, "Say hello to Shadowpelt and Sunstripe."

Sorrowkit blinked her eyes slowly and turned her head up slightly until her gaze brushed the top of Shadowpelt's head. The black kit nodded. "Hello," she mewed. Shadowpelt shivered. The kit's voice was disturbingly mellow. It lacked the high, squealing tone of other kits'. She gave Sorrowkit a friendly nuzzle.

"Promiseheart, you need to come back to the Clan," Sunstripe burst in. "Seedgrowth's getting old, and his paws are full enough as is. It's time for you to return to the position in the Clan you once held, and maybe then some."

"I will," Promiseheart replied. "I needed time to let Sorrowkit grow. I'll pass her off as a kit I found wandering alone. Shadowpelt, I know you and Sunstripe are going to have kits soon. Please...take Sorrowkit in."

Shadowpelt purred. "Why would you even ask? Stupid question, you stupid furball! Of course I'll take her in! She'll grow up alongside the rest of our kits." She rubbed her muzzle against Sunstripe's. "Come back, Promiseheart."

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

As they walked along, Shadowpelt filled her old friend in on what had been happening in PromiseClan. Hexmind was in the nursery with Whitebelly's kits (the father had died at the jaws of the white hound). Firebelly's last litter was getting ready to be apprenticed, and Stormkit spent most of her time in the medicine cat's den studying herbs. Wavesong and Summerstream were getting closer by the day. Clan gossip.

As she walked, Shadowpelt couldn't help staring as Sorrowkit navigated around everything in her path, limping neatly around stumps and rocks even though she was sightless. When she asked Promiseheart, the queen merely replied, "She does that often. It's like she has some sixth sense. I'm not sure myself."

The returning cats were greeted with warm meows and happy purrs. Shadowpelt drew her tail across Sorrowkit's shoulders to guide the kit after her. Sorrowkit followed, keeping her nose to the ground. "Why are you walking like that?" Shadowpelt asked.

"This is my new home, right? I'm going to learn every pawstep of it."

"I bet you're tired."

"Not really. I want to explore this place."

"Come into the nursery, Sorrowkit."

"You're not my mother. Don't tell me what to do."

Shadowpelt was growing rapidly frustrated with Sorrowkit. The dark queen let out a short growl. "Come _here_, Sorrowkit," she repeated, this time a little louder.

"I'm blind, not deaf," Sorrowkit retorted. "I heard you the first time. And I said I was going to explore more."

Shadowpelt watched the black kit pad around the camp until Sorrowkit found herself confronted with the young apprentice Windpaw. The silver she-cat scoffed. "Look at that _ug_-ly kit," Windpaw mewed softly. "Looks like a lame, waterlogged rat!"

"And now I'm done exploring!" Sorrowkit mewed, turning back. "Shadowpelt? Shadowpelt?" She looked wildly around. "Where...Where are you, Shadowpelt?"

Shadowpelt bounded over and gave Sorrowkit a gentle lick. "Right here," she replied in a soothing murmur. "Come on. I think some cat should be with you when you explore. Where do you want to go?"

"The nursery," Sorrowkit stated. "I'm a bit tired..."

"We're going to get along famously, aren't we?" Shadowpelt asked sarcastically

"Starting to look like it." Sorrowkit returned the sarcasm. Shadowpelt gave a _mrrow_ of laughter.

"Oh, yes."

.-''-.-''-.-''-.

Curled up in the nursery, Shadowpelt gave the young cat a lick on the head. Sorrowkit's tiny paws twitched and jerked fitfully, as if she was escaping some nightmare creature. The dark queen was getting worried. A moon she had been caring for Sorrowkit, and every night the kit had this same reaction. Every morning, Sorrowkit maintained she couldn't recall any nightmares.

A soft gasp broke the uncomfortable silence. Sorrowkit jerked into wakefulness, looking around wildly. Shadowpelt gave her a few calming licks. "What was it? Do you remember?" To her surprise, Sorrowkit nodded.

"I could see...and I saw myself in a pool of silver water. Only...I was different. White-furred. Pretty. And there were voices all around me...and scents of ice...cat...and emptiness...and the voices kept saying the same thing, over and over again."

"What did they say?" Shadowpelt asked gently. Sorrowkit shuddered.

"They were saying _Find your future with Hope._" Sorrowkit tipped her head back, her blind gaze burning into Shadowpelt's. "Why? What does it mean? What is Hope? How do they know my future? Will I see, Shadowpelt?"

Shadowpelt barely heard the kit. _Hope. That's what Promiseheart was in that old prophecy. _Sorrowkit's voice crowded out all other thoughts as she kept asking for clarification. The dark she-cat sighed. "We'll check with Promiseheart in the morning," she meowed.

"You can check with her now," Promiseheart's voice muttered. "A fine pile of fresh-kill, this. Can't sleep for dreaming. Ever have a night like that?" The white she-cat shook her pelt briskly. "Yes. I saw it all. Sorrowkit has a great future. A painful future, but a great one." She settled down beside Shadowpelt's nest.

"Do you know anything else?" Shadowpelt asked.

"Yes. The four cats who were killed by the hound Pack visited me: Nighthawk, Mudpaw, Heavenstep, and Whitebelly. They each delivered a line of a prophecy. Whitebelly began with _When tragedy strikes and the blind lead the blind..._"

"Who spoke next?"

"Heavenstep. She added _Loyalties will be found and lost..._"

"I'm guessing Nighthawk was next, seeing as we're going in order of age."

"Correct. _The sun will drench the land in blood..._"

"Will you two please _stop_ drawing this out?" Sorrowkit growled. "This concerns my future!"

"Fine. What did Mudpaw say?"

Promiseheart looked at her paws. "It's strange...He started to speak. He started the line _And heroes unknown will..._, but out of nowhere, he broken into a terrible scream." Her hackles rose stiffly. "The whole clearing where I saw StarClan was swallowed in darkness."

"_And heroes unknown will** rise**? Will** fall**? Will **catch a plump vole and call it a day**_?" Sorrowkit demanded. "You get back to sleep and ask Mudpaw to finish what he started! I will _not_ have an uncertain future!"

"Calm down," Shadowpelt soothed. "That's as much as we're getting from StarClan for now. I'll tell Wavesong and Sunstripe and Trickmind in the morning. We've cracked prophecies before. We'll sort it out before long. _When tragedy strikes and the blind lead the blind, loyalties will be found and lost. The sun will drench the land in blood, and heroes unknown will..._"

Promiseheart dipped her head and left the nursery. It was many hours before any of the three she-cats returned to the land of dreams. Sorrowkit awoke at dawn and padded from the nursery. She now knew exactly how many steps it took for her to make it out of the den, and even where to make that final hop down to the ground. Her sightless eyes scanned the rosy skies.

"StarClan," she whispered, "I know I'm not the most polite, or prettiest, or even the smartest of kits, but you have something special planned for me. Make it at least a little easy on me. After all, I don't know anything outside of this camp. Er...thanks, I guess."

Above her head, leaflets rustled on branches as a warm, newleaf wind sang through the trees. It darted through the forest, racing over streams and caressing hilltops. It seemed to come to rest on a small, grassy clearing. Small wildflowers sent up their shoots in the soft soil. A small gray mouse scurried through the grass, coming to stop at a strange rock. It was slightly porous and soft, with a few dark holes. She peeked inside, but seeing nothing interesting, departed.

The wind sprang up again, restless StarClan warriors patrolling their old territory. It stopped at the strange rock like the mouse had, and sang through the holes. The eerie music filled the air, hanging still after the wind had left to roam other land. Then, it faded, leaving nothing but an empty clearing and the skull of the wolf formerly called Follower.

_**end**_

**And so ends the second part in my Warriors trilogy: Shaded Promises. The third and final part will be coming in...a while. A long while. I'm not sure when. I need time to let my juices replenish themselves. If you have suggestions of how the prophecy will be fulfilled, please do not hesitate to suggest them to me through private messages.** **I would love to see how others think my writing will turn out.**

**Oh, and by the way, I'm not sure how the prophecy will end right now.**


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